Crest of the Dragon
by Lady Zahara
Summary: Raimundo's transition to leadership isn't as easy as he makes it appear. Working together, the group tries to advance to the next level, but could the past be distracting them from the present? The fifth Dragon Warrior has yet to reveal themselves. A circumstance Hannibal Bean is more than willing to extort. A fan envisioned fourth season.
1. Fatally Optimistic

Fatally Optimistic

1600 years ago, back when the great masters were still in training, a dangerous evil made itself known. He used an ancient magic to manipulate the powers of the Elemental Dragon Warriors to rule the lands. This warrior called himself Hannibal Bean. Under his reign, the dragons in training were powerless, unable to use their Xiaolin Elements. However, this power wasn't enough. Hannibal wanted the ultimate power: eternal youth. Using his might, he destroyed the Xiaolin Temple and unsealed the Scroll of Jong. Within its passages was the Fountain of Youth, a potion that would give the user immortality. However, it required one rare ingredient: the blood of a dragon.

Misinterpreting the instructions, Hannibal made a potion using blood from his shield, only to be trapped eternally in a monstrous form. His quest for longevity had ripped his empire and human body from him, which left him too weak to fight on his own. With each new try, the potions fell shorter and shorter from their mark. Eventually, his physical state was too weak to take anymore experimentation. So he found himself a new test subject: one of the chosen ones.

~ v ~

A chilly summer wind blew over the empty beach of Alaska. On another Wu hunt, the Xiaolin Warriors were struggling to find the Shen Gong Wu. It had already been half an hour, and there was still no sign of the Wu. Even Jack Spicer was struggling to keep his locator functioning in the humidity. Clay rubbed his arms and looked up to the shivering dragon perched on his hat.

"I don't figure your sniffer's cleared up enough to help us?" Clay sighed.

"Sorry, I've got zip." Dojo shook his head. "I always was more of a Spring dragon."

"Maybe," A smug Heylin Witch cawed, "you should stop relying on a gecko to find all your Shen Gong Wu."

"GECKO!?" Dojo seethed. A dim glow came from the base of the hill. "THERE! It's there!" Xiaolin and Heylin alike ran head long toward the luminescent sand. It was Jack who was victorious. He held up the bronze tunic with pride.

"The Terracotta Beizi is mine!" He cackled.

"Oh no you don't!" Kimiko shouted. She and Wuya lunged at the Wu causing the boy genius to shriek in terror. "A Showdown Trio." She challenged.

"My Ring of the Nine Dragons against your Sun Chi Lantern and Silk Spitter." Wuya added.

"Fine, fine," Jack said through a mouth full of sand, "but I got here first so I pick the showdown. We race," he looked over at the frigid ocean, "on jet skis. First to reach the Beizi wins."

"LET'S GO!" They shouted. "Xiaolin Showdown!" Ice shot across the ocean and down below sea level. Arching waves were frozen into walls, the sea life within statuesque in mid-swim, which acted as the path for the roaring water. With no regards for the weather, their showdown gear was comprised of fairly revealing swimsuits. The three found themselves mounted on Jet Skis, engines revved and ready for the race.

"GONG TI TANPAI!" They shouted. Jack immediately turned and pointed the magical spindle at this opponents.

"Silk Spitter!" The pearlesent goo shot out and formed a net-like trap over the two, preventing them from reaching the handles. "What's wrong girls?" Jack chortled. "Afraid of getting your hair wet?" He fish-tailed, soaking the pair, before zooming off. Wuya tore off the solidified casing and chased after Jack.

"Oh he is so going to pay!" Kimiko hissed as fire ran up her body. Her element charcolized the silk, returning her free range of motion as she floored the gas.

"I didn't know she could do that." Clay murmured.

"This doesn't look good." Raimundo agreed. While his knowledge of magical machinery was limited, he was certain that fire did not mix with this particular challenge.

"Perhaps her anger is once more getting the better of her." Omi suggested.

"Kimiko!" Raimundo shouted. "You have to calm down!"

"Raimundo's right," Clay added, "if that tank catches fire, you're done for!" The three racers came up to sharp left turn. Jack was still in the lead as they rounded the corner, but Wuya was quickly gaining. Pulling on the handles , she went to turn, only to have the machine turn in the opposite direction into a wall. The impact was fierce, and the shout of frustration she gave was hardly graceful.

"Curse these infernal contraptions!" She kicked the wall to point the nose in the proper direction. "Whoever heard of a showdown with stupid machines anyway." Now far behind, Wuya had to gun it if she even wanted to get back in the running. The spectating monks cheered as Kimiko came up on Jack's tail.

"Wudai Mars-"

"NO!" The group shouted.

"Use a different element!" Raimundo flailed his arms about wildly.

"A better element!" Omi added. "Which would be whatever element you chose." He amended. Kimiko held the golden lantern aloft.

"Sun Chi Lantern, WATER!" A huge wave swallowed up Jack.

"Yes!" Omi cheered. He quelled his excitement to grin sheepishly at his peeved companions. "My happiness comes from Kimiko's success?" He explained transparently. "Of course it had nothing to do with the fact she chose my element over yours."

Wuya growled, she was nowhere close to the finish!

"Ring of the Nine Dragons!" A carbon copy of Wuya leaped into the air and bounced off of Jack as he resurfaced. "Oh dear, it looks like you got your hair wet." The original Wuya chuckled as she splashed Jack. "Hope that helped."

"Hey!" He sputtered. The double landed in front of Kimiko and then sprung for Jack's downed machine a few yards ahead.

"Ring of the Nine Dragons!" The double called, yet she didn't disappear, merely smirked as she zoomed toward the finish line. Kimiko looked over her shoulder to see Wuya's abandoned Jet Ski hurtling toward her without a driver. With no time to change course, the two vehicles collided. There was a collective cringed from the private audience as Kimiko went flying through into the water. Clawing at the water, the young dragon spat,

"Sun Chi Lantern!" But it was too late. Wuya had crossed the finish line.

The showdown arena lapsed and folded in on itself, returning the group to the Alaskan beach. Unfortunately, the three competitors were still soaked to the bone.

"Once again, it pays to be evil." Wuya chuckled.

"Do not fret Kimiko," Omi beamed, "the Terracotta Beizi only brings rocks to the user. It is most useless since we already have Clay."

"Hey now, I'm not a Shen Gong Wu." Clay objected. "Just because I can use Earth Techniques, doesn't mean y'all can."

"Yes," Omi nodded, "but why would we want to?"

"Can it you two!" Kimiko shivered. "Argue on your own time, I need to get back to the temple to change." The monks gave her wide birth as she stomped over to Dojo.

"You can take the seat up front," Rai suggested, "less wind chill."

~ v ~

Wuya crept into the massive cave, watchful for any of Chase's wildcats. However, it appeared that there were none by the back entrance. Odd, usually the mangy beasts were crawling all over the place. She tried her best to hide the new Shen Gong Wu within her robe before she got caught. However, she was too late. The sound of a man clearing his throat echoed throughout the cavern.

"Just what in the name of evil do you think you're going?" Chase drawled.

"I was- err-" Wuya glanced down at the Wu in her possession. "Having these polished for you." She did her best to give him a charming smile.

"Last I checked," Chase said with an eyebrow raised, "silk does not need to be polished." Wuya stuttered as she did her best to think of an excuse. "Don't waste your breath. I have little interest in you obsession over those useless trinkets." Wuya bit her lip and growled.

"Sun Chi Lantern!" She hollered. Chase chuckled and stepped out of the beam.

"How interesting, usually you take a couple of hours to prove my point." He dusted off his shoulder. "Let me know when you finally give up on using those toys and I'll consider reevaluating your worth." He sniggered, leaving the witch to fume.

"I do not have take this from you! Terracotta Beizi!" The stone of Chase's palace ripped away from the structure and formed a towering pile behind her. "Rise my rock creatures!" The lantern glowed an iridescent green. The rock behind her began to erupt in a green flame and formed a granite panther five times her height. A roar bellowed from the beast. "Not exactly what I had in mind, but it will do." She pointed at the Prince of Darkness, who was poised to fight. The golem like creature thundered toward him as he went to kick Wuya in the face. With a jagged jaw, the creature snatched him up by the leg. "I think it's time for a little change in the pecking order around here." She snapped her fingers and the panther threw him through the wall and out of the cave. "You should have studied more when you were with Dashi." She used the glowing Beizi to seal the hole up with a slam.

~ v ~

"I am just saying that out of all the elements, Earth is the more reliable element." Clay professed later on the training ground.

"Reliable? If Earth is so reliable, then why is water the element of choice in medicine?" Omi countered.

"That doesn't make a lick of sense."

"Ancient Chinese medicine Buster Brown." Dojo clarified.

"Be that as it may," Clay shook his head, "it doesn't change the fact that Earth attacks, in general, have been more effective against our enemies."

"That is not true," Omi scowled, "my ice technique has never failed."

"But you need the Orb of Tornami to do it." Clay pointed out. The two looked to their leader who held his hands up.

"Don't even think about it. Just because I'm leader now, that doesn't mean I have to settle all of your arguments." He coughed. "Besides, Wind trumps all of you." The trio launched themselves into a three way argument. Though it was hard to hear when they were talking over each other.

"DOJO!" The three called.

"Alright, I'm right here, geez." Dojo threw on a tiny judge's rob. "Each one of you will take turns stating your case, starting with Clay." He banged a gavel and let the cowboy step forward.

"To my knowledge, there has not been a Shen Gong Wu that can create an earthquake. However, previous Xiaolin Dragons have been able to." Said Clay. Dojo nodded his head sagely.

"This is true, but elemental manipulation on that scale doesn't start until you're a Shoku warrior at the earliest."

"I've got this in the bucket." Omi grinned.

"Bag." Raimundo corrected, yet Omi stayed vigilant.

"Unlike my other warrior, I have used my element to travel through time!" Omi wiggled his fingers for effect, earning a pleased hum from the judge. Raimundo calmly stepped forward.

"I can fly." He bowed shallowly and returned to his place in line.

"Point Raimundo!" Dojo cheered.

"WHAT?" Omi gasped. "How does flying outrank time travel?"

"Everyone wants to fly." Dojo elaborated. "Specifically you all fly every day, using me. Flying isn't just a talent, it's an art." His eyes watered a bit as he spoke. Just as Omi was about to argue, the ground beneath them shook. They turned to see Clay had made a small barn.

"Crude," Dojo commented, "but effective."

"I like to keep things practical." Clay tilted his hat.

"Clay gets a point." Dojo nodded. Omi's face pinched into a frown.

"I do not believe I have properly made my point." Omi held the blue orb over his head. "Orb of Tornami!" A flood poured from the mouth of the orb, washing the humble formation away.

"Hey!" Clay shouted.

"How practical is your mud hut?!" Omi sniggered.

"Impressive." Dojo nodded taking a few notes. "Point to Omi."

"Now we just have to clean things up!" Raimundo grinned. He clapped his hands together creating a massive tornado. The force was more destructive then he had originally intended, for as it bee lined for the mud puddle, it unearth the training yard in its path. Mud and rocks went flying every which way, artfully decorated by the torn up grass. Raimundo quickly subdued his attack the moment he lost control. Whistling, Clay surveyed the yard.

"Those Shoku powers of yours are mighty impressive Rai." Said Clay.

"Indeed they are," a weathered voice agreed, "that is why they should be used wisely."

"MASTER FUNG!" The group yelped and turned to see their beloved Master dripping in mud.

"I suppose there is a reasonable explanation for all of this?" He asked, wiping the mud from his face.

"I was trying to prove that water is the superior element-" Omi began, only to deflate under Master Fung's gaze.

"I see," Master Fung nodded, "if that is true, then perhaps I made a mistake. If one element was superior, then clearly you should have trained in separate temples."

"I apologize, I didn't mean to question your judgment." Omi bowed.

"No harm is done, though I can't say the same for the garden." He sighed. "But remember, a chair with one leg is destined to fall."

"How about one with three legs?" Raimundo asked as Kimiko shuffled onto the field. "I don't think Kim's up for another Wu hunt today."

"What, no, I'm fine." She said nasally. "What happened here?"

"Raimundo is right," Master Fung concluded, "you're in no condition to do battle."

"Maybe someone else should stay behind?" Clay suggested.

"I don't need a babysitter!" Kimiko grumped. "I get the picture okay, I look awful." She tugged off her brightly colored wig to reveal a black tangled mess.

"It's not that Kimiko," Omi countered, "we just want you to get your rest."

"Yeah, whatever." Kimiko groaned as she shuffled back into the temple. "I'm going to bed."

~ v ~

Chase Young stalked across what used to be his land. Though stoic, his face definitely did not match the sheer amount of annoyance he felt. His warrior cats loyalty remained with whoever fed them, which at the moment, was Wuya. Otherwise he would have taken care of the witch then and there. However inconvenient, he was determined to make this situation work in his favor..

"Look at that Ying Ying," a snide bean said from over head, "looks like somebody got the boot."

"I have neither the time or patience to deal with you." Chase grimaced, "I suggest you find someone more gullible to pester with your half baked plan.

"You're utter disdain for me is flattering," Hannibal smirked, "considering how highly you think of yourself. 1500 years is a long time to hold a petty grudge."

"Let me make one thing clear," Chase snarled, "my desire to continuously reject your offer has little to do with your scam and more to do with the fact that you simply can't be trusted. Now, if you don't mind, I have real evil to accomplish."

~ v ~

"I'm coming." Kimiko groaned shuffling over to the front gate in a fluffy blue and green bathrobe. The older monks were in the soundproof meditation room and with her friends on another Wu hunt, that left her to answer the door. "Yes?" She asked as she opened the door. When she saw it was Chase Young, she scowled. "Omi's not here." She went to slam the door in his face, but was stopped by Chase's foot.

"It seems I have come at a bad time. Regardless, I am in need of your assistance."

"Even if I knew where he was, I wouldn't tell you."

"I didn't ask for the Dragon of Water, I asked for assistance."

"Like I'd help you," She pulled out the Star Hanabi and pointed the gem toward him, "you can't just turn your back on everyone and expect people to help you when you mess up."

"There will be no need for that." He chuckled. "A true warrior can tell when they are not wanted." He showed himself out, leaving the Dragon of Fire alone in the hallway. Her friends were who knows where and the local monks probably wouldn't come to check on her. She loathed being sick, especially now. Slowly she made her way back to her room and with a groan flopped onto the bed. She just wished she had the energy to throw together a playlist, anything to cut away at the silence. The quiet isolation reminded her too much of home for her liking.

~ v ~

Chase encroached on the edge of the Land of Nowhere. Steam from the boiling geysers made it difficult to see anything other than a shadow of the surrounding forest. However, he was certain he wasn't alone.

"With the place all to yourself, I expected you to abuse what little power you have." Chase smirked.

"You should be flattered then." Wuya chuckled and the gigantic panther she road peeled away from the hazy horizon into view. "After all, I took the time to greet you in person."

"This is your last chance Wuya," Chase barked, "surrender now and you'll be able to leave with a shred of dignity." Chase narrowly dodged a humongous paw.

"Terracotta Beizi!" Wuya called and flung several boulders to compensate for the rock creature's slowness. With the constant attacks and exposure to the geysers' heat, Chase would be worn down quicker than usual. All Wuya had to do was remain as stationary as possible. That proved a little difficult when the dust settled and there was no sign of Chase. She remained vigilant and soon picked up the sound of someone panting from below.

"You sound a little worn out," Wuya mused, "let me give you a chance to catch your breath." She stomped, and from the belly of the beast shot several large stalagmites. Chase reverted to his lizard form, then used one of the rock formations to climb up to the cat's back. He hurled himself toward the Heylin witch, who easily jumped over him. "Give it up; you can't fight much more in your condition." She evaded another attack and threw a boulder at him. Close combat was too risky when your opponent had claws. "Perhaps, if you beg, I might consider taking you under my wing." A complete bluff on her part, she still needed a few more Wu in order to keep Chase in his place. Didn't Jack still have a few useful ones?

A cawing broke her concentration in battle. Soon she found herself struggling to pull a grey and black falcon from her hair's grip. She shrieked as it took a chunk of her hair in its beak and pulled. With her grip on the lantern looser, Chase easily kicked it away.

"I did not need your assistance in this matter, Hannibal." Chase hissed. He pointed the Shen Gong Wu his cats had filched from the Xiaolin vault during his 'pleasant' visit with the Dragon of Fire. "Kazuzu Atom!" He shouted and hit the lantern with an explosive force.

"NO!" Wuya screamed. The golden lantern split down the middle and the green flame trapped within shot up. For a brief moment the sky line darkened. The panther quickly collapsed without the Heylin magic, leaving Wuya standing atop a pile of rubble. "What have you done!?"

~ v ~

Even from the streets of Tokyo, the back lash from the Sun Chi lantern could be seen.

"Oh no, that's not good." Dojo murmured as he watched the skyline over Tokyo darken. The dragon shivered and crawled down the arm of his cowboy companion.

"What's wrong Dojo?" Omi asked as he set down a pair of sunglasses in the outdoor market place.

"I'm afraid the field trips over kids," Dojo quickly transformed, ushering them to board, "someone just broke the Sun Chi Lantern."

"Are we looking at 1,000 years of darkness?" Raimundo finished paying and jumped aboard the dragon.

"Not quite," Dojo soothed, "but we still need to go back and check with Master Fung. If the Sun Chi Lantern broke with someone's chi still in it, it could be lost forever."

"And the last person to use it was Kimiko!" Omi realized as they quickly headed back to the temple. "WITH MY CHI!"

~ v ~

Wuya stormed past Chase back toward the evil lair. She didn't have the patience to deal with Chase's stoic gloating, reveling over her misery.

"Shen Gong Wu, ruined." She muttered, kicking a bit of rubble as she passed the main hall. "Ancient art, lost for a hundred years, **or longer** if I no finds my scroll." She could hear his calm footsteps as she paced around looking for a pair of scissors.

"And what good do you think that will do?" Chase asked, a powerless being brandishing a pair of scissors was hardly a threat to him.

"I'M GOING TO FIX MY HAIR!" Wuya fumed and promptly locked herself in the bathroom. Chase sighed, today's battle was hardly a substitution for his usual routine. A pity he had to be interrupted by that back stabbing bean.

"It doesn't matter how many 'favors' you do for me," Chase glared up at the spying foul, "my answer is still no." Ying Ying took to flight, chased out of the palace by a flock of his crows.

During his practice, Chase had heard yet another scream of frustration come from the other end of his home. He gritted his teeth, just because she was a guest didn't mean she was allowed to spend hours throwing a tantrum. Eventually he had managed to finish his tai chi without further interruption, yet he couldn't find Wuya in her usual areas. She couldn't possibly still be gushing over herself in the mirror. Scratch that, he knew she could. Still, it was his bathroom, and no inconvenienced house guest was allowed to take it from him. He pounded on the door.

"If you are under the impression you own every mirror in my home, you're sorely mistaken."

"I-I'll be out soon!" Wuya answered, causing the dragon lord to furrow his brow. Odd, that wasn't how she usually responded. In the corner of his vision, he could see stray tufts of hair peaking out from underneath the door.

"Open the door." He demanded. Nothing, he heard nothing on the other side. "Wuya!" Now he was going to need a new door. He made quick work of the obstacle mentally filing it as more damage she had caused. The impact had startled her, and quickly she started gathering something from the floor. It she sat, surrounded by piles upon piles of butchered hair. Yet from the looks of it, she still had her large, flowing locks on her head.

"It… it keeps growing back." She laughed hollowly. "I tried and tried, but…" She tapered off. "I'll be out; I just need a little time." She couldn't change. No madder how hard she tried she would never be able to change. Suddenly, the youthful face staring back at her didn't seem as enviable. He sat down on the floor next to her and didn't say a word.

~ v ~

The group of monks let out a collective sigh of relief. It had not been Omi's chi that was destroyed with the lantern. Master Fung assured them that there was nothing wrong with the youngest of the group. A small cough alerted them that the Dragon of Fire was again on the move.

"Kimiko, what are you doing up?" Clay asked. She blew her nose into a tissue and waved off his question.

"Where were you guys? Chase Young came by acting all creepy again." Kimiko reported. She was immediately bombarded with questions about her health.

"Did he attack you?" Omi inquired.

"Well… no, he just walked away. Like I said, creepy." She shivered. "So what Wu did you bag? I'm sorry I couldn't make it, I'm really trying to get better."

"We didn't go looking for Wu today." Raimundo confessed.

"I am most befuddled at how you can live in a city as large as Tokyo," Omi added, "the shops are far too crowded to find anything."

"You went to Tokyo without me?" Kimiko waited to be corrected, but the boys didn't object. Disheartened, she made her way back to her room, ignoring the apologizes the group offered.

"Kimiko wait!" Raimundo followed after her. "Kim, you've got the wrong idea."

"No it's fine!" Kimiko growled. "Don't mind me, I just happened to get sick going after the Wu, but I suppose vacation time is for closers."

"Kim, you need to calm down, you're not at your best."

"Don't treat me like a little kid!" Kimiko tried to shout, but her voice was starting to grow hoarse. "So what if I'm not at my best. I stayed out of the way, so why does it matter? I'll get better eventually, so stop~" She started a fit of coughing.

"Woah, hey! We didn't ask you to stay out of the way." Raimundo objected as he helped her to a sitting position in the airy hall. "Why would we ever do that?"

"You~ You didn't~ have to~ I got the message." Kimiko frowned.

"The only message you were supposed to get was that we were worried about you, and it is impossible to find anything in Tokyo without you." He set down a plain brown box with green Japanese kana between them.

"Is that?"

"Mochi, from that small shop you kept bragging about." Raimundo supplied. "I know being sick sucks, but we figured this might cheer you up a bit. It's mango." Kimiko let out a raspy laugh.

"Gosh I'm such an idiot, I let that stupid-" She coughed again.

"Don't worry about it." Raimundo chuckled. "You'll be fine." Hesitantly she opened the box, to find pale orange spheres nestled between paper wrappers. She plucked one from the box, as did he.

"Hey, I thought these were for me." She grinned.

"What? I wanted to find out what was so great about the whole wrapping ice cream in stuff." Raimundo defended as he popped one in his mouth.

"You're gonna' to get sick." Kimiko scolded.

"Maybe, maybe not." Raimundo shrugged.

**AN: A big thanks go to my young sibling, who looked this over for me, hopefully this is typo free. I tried to keep the flavor of the original show while at the same time incorporating my ideas. I feel that being eternally young isn't something that you can just simply accept. Like with all things, some sacrifice is involved, and not necessarily in the way we expect it. Thank you for reading and reviewing.**


	2. Quiet Riot

Thunder crashed through the darkened sky. Rain fell down in sheets toward the cool autumn ground.

"I guess there won't be any training today." Kimiko sighed contently over a cup of tea.

"Yeah, it's a real shame." Raimundo joked with a shake of his head. "Who wants popcorn?"

"Send it over here!" Clay cheered from a worn couch in the nook of the sleeping hall.

"We should be spending our time meditating or doing something productive," Omi moped, "not wasting our time with movies."

"Pfft, you're only saying that cause your movie wasn't picked first." Raimundo said as he plopped down next to Clay.

"Charlotte's Web is a most fitting form of visual entertainment!" Omi objected.

"That's all well and good," Clay agreed, "but don't you think it's a little… young?"

"Don't listen to them Omi, we can watch your movie next." Kimiko said as she set up her laptop so everyone could see.

"So what do we got lined up first?" Clay asked.

"One Missed Call." Kimiko grinned. "A spirit uses phone calls to kill people in gruesome ways. It's kinda like Final Destination, only with more of a plot."

"And we are quite certain that this is the movie of choice?" Omi asked, pulling his knees to his chest to make room for Kimiko.

"Wait a minute, are you scared?" Raimundo asked. Omi shook his head fervently. "If you are, we can pick something else." He suggested with sincerity.

"No, I am fine. Just put the movie in."

"Raimundo." Master Fung called from outside the dorm.

"Yeah, hold on," Raimundo called back, "don't start the movie yet guys, I'll be right back." He sprung up from the couch and answered the door. "What's up? Is something wrong?" Master Fung shook his head.

"You are late for today's lesson."

"Sorry, I just figured practice was canceled 'cause of the rain." He gestured to the slow growing pools on the temple grounds.

"A Shoku Warrior trains not only body, but in mind. You have but one assignment for today, and then you can return to your motion pictures." Raimundo took one forlorn glance back to his friends.

"Is everything alright?" Kimiko asked.

"Yeah, just… go ahead and start without me. I have a Shoku assignment to do real quick, and then I'll be back."

~ v ~

"So what's the deal with this whole 'Dragon Festival' thing?" Raimundo asked as he skimmed over a torn scroll.

Dojo safely shook his head. "Oh no you don't, Master Fung said you had to research this on your own." He said, as he munched on a handful of funions.

"Then why are you here?" Raimundo frowned.

"With so many scrolls eaten in the great potato famine, I'm here to fill in the gaps, so to speak." He chuckled. "Once you find them that is; other than that, my lips are sealed. No hints! Besides, this room is nice and sound proof. I prefer to eat my chips without the ambiance of dying scream queens." He shuddered and went back to shoveling in his pungent snack.

Raimundo rolled his eyes and went back to his reading. He had found numerous accounts of the ritual preformed at the festival, foods that were eaten and jokes that had been told. But very little was written about how it came to be and why the yearly celebration came to an end. Supposedly when the temple found a new dragon, the dragon festival was used to introduce them to the world. Yet from the day they arrived the only celebration held was a humble new years and a short vacation for Christmas. All other events had been left in the hands of the young monks, not the temple elders. Come to think of it, he had never even talked to the elder monks.

"Why wasn't the festival on when we showed up at the temple?" Raimundo asked as he turned to the small dragon. He rapidly shook his head, spreading crumbs across the room. "Come on Dojo, you gotta give me that." Dojo shook his head again fervently. Raimundo sighed and turned back to the scroll. "As the rim of the sun left the fountain, expectant mothers would don the robes of the previous dragon warrior in hopes that their child would be chosen to become a Xiaolin Warrior." He recited as he read. This was going to take longer than he thought.

~ v ~

The laptop screen flashed as the heroine reached for her friend, begging him not to answer the phone. He flipped it open and the elevator above him came crashing down on top of him. With a terrified scream, the girl curled up in front of the crushed body, her profuse tears blocked by Omi as he ran out of the room.

"Omi?" Kimiko asked.

"He's probably going to the bathroom." Clay shrugged, his eyes trained on the screen. "Oh come on! That's not how a bone fractures!" Kimiko waited about ten minutes before going into the kitchen to check on the youngest member of their group. "Omi, are you in here?" There was a short clatter as a familiar yellow head peered over the island counter. "What's going on, are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm just getting some snacks." Omi quickly replied. He shifted, distracted, to the cupboards.

"Really you've been gone for 15 minutes." Kimiko frowned.

"Yes, I just had to get some delicious," He pulled out a random box and glanced down, "Raisin Bran." Another scream emanated from the sleeping quarters, coupled by Clay's indignant outcry about inaccurate anatomical representation. Visibly startled, Omi clutched the box of cereal looking away from the hall.

"Are sure you're not afraid of the movie?" Kimiko asked as she joined him at his side.

"Of course not, I'm a Xiaolin Warrior. I can handle anything." He argued and took three forced steps before another scream stopped him in his tracks.

"You know it's okay to be scared." Kimiko soothed. "We can watch something else, I'm sure the others won't object."

"That doesn't make sense…. How is it okay to be scared? If you're scared, you can't help anyone, you're weak." He didn't move, his stare trained at the floor.

"Well, everybody gets scared sometimes." She reasoned.

"But I'm not everybody; if I fail, I could lose everything!" Omi shouted frustrated.

"This isn't about the movie is it?" Crouching down, she looked him in the eye. "What's really bothering you." He looked away. "I promise I won't laugh or anything." She said crossing her heart with her finger.

"I… I keep having nightmares." Omi mumbled. "Everyone around me is so old, and because I went missing; the whole world is destroyed. I kept trying to do the right thing, but I fail. I failed and you all and he-" Omi whimpered, the box he was holding slowly crushed under neither his frustrated grip. It had felt so real, each night seeing the same scene play out like a haunting memory. His friends had died before him and he was powerless to stop it.

"Hey, hey," She gingerly took the cereal from him and pulled him in for a hug, "it's just a bad dream; it never really happened." She didn't quite understand what was going on, but Omi obviously wasn't quite ready to talk about it yet. Omi shook his head. All Dojo kept telling him when he brought it up was that in 'this world' it hadn't happened, and since they were the only ones that would remember it, it never really happened. After a while the memories would fade and everything would go back to the way it was.

"But it could happen," Omi argued, "I have to stop it, but I don't know how!"

"Omi calm down, look at me. I'm right here; Raimundo and Clay are right down the hall. If something really bad does go down, you won't be alone, you have us." She reasoned. "That's why you have us; we're here together so we don't have to go it alone." There was another shout from Clay, accusing the movie of using too much blood. "Whenever you're ready, we can go talk to Clay and see if we can watch something else, okay?" Furiously whipping away his tears, Omi nodded. He felt a little silly crying about what Dojo assured him were just dreams, but it was nice knowing that Kimiko wasn't going to give him a hard time about it.

~ v ~

An electric hum harmonized with the thunder outside the suburban home. A lone figure sat illuminated by artificial light within the darkened lab.

"Tubbimura… no." Jack sighed as he deleted the e-mail address from his contact list. "Panda Bubba… definitely not. Ashley… nah, not worth the cat puns and drama." He had originally planned to weed out a few dead contacts from his computer. However, as he went down the list, he found most of the evil doers he knew had betrayed him at least twice. "Chase Young…" His cursor hovered over the delete bar. Countless times he had tried to impress the self proclaimed 'Dark Prince', and each time he fell flat on his face, literally. One click and he could jump out of the cycle.

He skipped over it. Sure he had messed up a few times in his hero's eyes, but that wasn't his fault. He was perfect apprentice material. Even if it meant a downgrade in title, he would contact the villain again, only after he got a killer plan as inscrutable proof of his worth. That could take a while to procure. Especially with the way his address book looked lately.

"Vlad… still on vacation. The Black Vipers… I don't think Jessie blocked me… yet." No good, now he was just getting frustrated. "There has to be someone left to team up with!" He rubbed his temples. "I can't even bug the Xiaolin losers until it stops raining. Maybe the rain'll give me some ideas." He sighed and opened a window to let in the autumn drizzle. In the meantime, he'd have to find a different way to kill some time.

~ v ~

It had been an hour and a half, and Raimundo had gotten no further than he had fifty minutes ago.

"I gotta go clear my head." He told Dojo. The dragon nodded silently in reply. "I'll be back in a couple minutes." Taking his leave, Raimundo strolled down the dimly lit hallway. He had never gone so far back in the temple before. Anything past the eastern door to the meditation room had never been necessary for their training. However, he really needed a change of scenery. Eventually he came to a simple, elegant door. Golden dragons formed the handle, begging to be opened by an inquisitive mind. With a great deal of effort, Raimundo pushed the door open and walked inside.

All around him weapons and sashes were displayed like trophies. Some had names engraved beneath them, others their respective level or element. It appeared he had had found where Master Fung kept all of the Xiaolin Warrior stuff. On the far back wall, a glass case hung, with five Chinese symbols engraved on the top. Inside he found the robes he had read about humbly displayed. Fine silk was woven together with hues associated with their element. The slightest glimpse of a tail and claws suggested that there was a dragon stitched on the back. He recognized the wind robe as the one Dashi had worn, but two of the dress stands were bare.

"WHO'S THERE!?" A weathered voice boomed as the wooden doors slammed open. Raimundo squinted at the sudden intrusion of light, unable to recognize the silhouette or voice. "You've picked the wrong temple to steal from you scrawny little urchin!" The old man hobbled over angrily and took a tight hold of Raimundo's arm. He pulled roughly, dragging him out of the room.

"Let go of me, I'm not a thief!" As the doors slammed shut, Raimundo wrenched his arm free. He quickly gestured to his attire, hoping the room's dim lighting was responsible for the misunderstanding. "I'm the Shoku Warrior of Wind! I was just doing a research assignment." The weathered old man curled his peppered mustache into a disgruntled sneer. He huffed, a weariness hidden within his abundant anger.

"Didn't your babysitter tell you where the scroll room is?" Raimundo was quick to recover from the stab at both Master Fung and himself, to which he retaliated in kind,

"Yes, as a matter of fact, he did." He crossed his arms to keep from fidgeting.

"Then you would do well to remember your place and go back from where you came. I don't care how high up you think you are, _children_ are not allowed in this part of the temple. Especially unsupervised ones. If I catch you poking around in other people's business again; I can assure you, you won't remain the dragon of wind for long." He waited for Raimundo to begin walking back toward the scroll room before leaving himself. As Raimundo glared angrily over his shoulder, he saw an elegant dragon stitched into the old man's robes, surrounded by silk vines.

~ v ~

At last the rain had subsided. Jack eagerly took the chance to ditch his game and raid the temple. As he crept across the grounds, he noted that it was eerily quiet. Without a second glance, he entered the vault and pulled out something akin to a shopping list. He stopped short when he noticed the vault was already open. Without any Jack bots to protect him, he resorted to ducking behind a pillar. When he peaked to see who was there, he found the last person he expected to see.

"Le Mime? What are you doing here?"

Equally startled, the French clown turned to Jack and grabbed his own hat. After placing a hand over his heart, he gestured to the vault and then held up the Serpent's Tail; a sword hung from his back.

"Well I kinda figured you were stealing stuff," he said with an eye roll, "but what are you doing here? I thought you had gone back to France?"

Le Mime held up a finger then cupped his ear in the direction of the hallway. A dull crunch reverberated down the hall. Jack swore under his breath and swooped into the vault.

"Yeah, I know," Jack whispered in reply to the Mime's wild gestures toward the door. "I'm just getting something real quick. I have a jet out back." With a face palm, Le Mime kept watch. The crunching sound grew louder, until a small green dragon with a bag of chips slithered through the door.

"What on Earth?" Dojo muttered as he saw the two teens and the open vault. "HEY-" In a panic, Le Mime clumsily swung the sword at the dragon's throat.

"Dude, what the heck man!" Jack exclaimed. Yet the dragon didn't have a scratch. With an exaggerated mimic of a sigh, Le Mime held up the handle of the sword and displayed the newly attached orb. Then he gestured at the dragon who, try as he might, couldn't say a word. "Don't scare me like that!" Le Mime urged Jack to leave, closing the vault behind them as an afterthought. As they closed in on the jet, a thought struck the boy genius. "Hey, you actually had my back there." It wasn't like the clown had to help him, they just ran into each other. "Do you… uh, need a ride?" Le Mime nodded his head emphatically as the alarm on the grounds went off. "Hop in."

The jet flew off, free of pursuit. Neither the smeared scenery nor Jack's confused babbling succeeded in capturing the mime's attention. He glared down at his prize, this wasn't the one he was looking for, but it was worth a shot.

~ v ~

At the sound of the alarm, the group came running from all corners of the temple. When they arrived, nothing seemed out of place, that than Dojo flailing excitedly on the floor.

"What in Sam Hill is going on?" Clay asked. Dojo pointed to his silent, gaping, maw.

"Maybe a Shen Gong Wu's been revealed," Kimiko suggested, "it would explain why he's not talking." A quick scan over the scroll yielded nothing. Whatever had set the dragon off, it wasn't a new Wu.

"Great, this day just keeps getting better." Raimundo sighed as Dojo searched through the scroll. "I just ran into some crotchety old man on a power trip who though I was stealing something. We've been here for like what, a year? He can't kick me out just for looking at some old clothes."

"This man, did he have three scars down his right eye?" Omi asked. Now that he thought about it, he did have three claw like scars down his face.

"Yeah, you know him?"

"That was Grand Master Bardon," Omi said solemnly, "he is the one who runs this temple."

"If he runs the temple, why have we never seen him?" Clay asked.

"Yeah, I always thought Master Fung was in charge." Kimiko added.

"Well, he hates outsiders. Even I've never seen him myself." Omi sighed. "Technically, the temple is closed to the public, but since Master Fung is training us, we are allowed to stay. You're the first new students since, well, me."

"That doesn't seem right," Kimiko sighed, "I mean, how could all of these old men start learning if the temple was closed off to everyone except the dragons in training?"

"No kidding," Raimundo agreed, "this place used to have all kinds of festivals that the whole town would come to." A clatter startled the group as Dojo came to the section of scroll he needed, only it had been used as food during the great potato famine. They really should start keeping a new copy of the scroll for times like these. He held up the torn scroll in frustration. "Yeah, I get it, I'll go finish my assignment. Clay, before you get back to the movie, could you check the security system. If a loose wire is setting it off then we need to know. I have more scrolls to read."

~ v ~

"Man, I wish I could have seen their faces!" Jack cackled as the door to his home swung wide. "You know, that worked pretty well. I bet if we keep at it, we could slowly empty the vault right under their nose."

Le Mime took a long look around the foyer of Jack's elegant home. Surprised by the darkness of home, he pointed to a picture of a well-dressed couple.

"Hunh?" It took a while to translate what the Mime was asking. "Those are my parents, they aren't home. But check out what I snagged." He held up the Heart of Jong with pride. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it yet, but it's going to be awesome!"

With a pointed look at Jack, Le Mime held up his new Wu, and placed it inside an invisible safe. When Jack didn't reply, he repeated the action and pointed at Jack.

"No thanks, I have my own." Jack dismissed.

With his hand pressed to his fore-head in mock salute, Le Mime made a large sweeping motion as if to look for something.

"It's not up here, it's downstairs in the lair; Le Mime?" The clown hurried downstairs, and looked for the safe. "Dude, chill out, there's no hurry." He said as he removed a picture of a safe. "It would be best if we lay low for a few hours, just to keep the Xiaolin losers off kilter." He opened a steal panel and placed his Wu inside the empty safe.

Le Mime was shocked that the boy genius didn't have more Wu. He attempted to act out his inquiry; however the abstract concept was difficult to mime and earned only a perplexed look from his companion.

"We have to get you a chalk board or Google translate or something." He said with a shake of his head. "I just got the new Soul Fighter game, want to go head to head?"

Admitting defeat for the moment, Le Mime shrugged his shoulders and followed him back upstairs. In a few hours, they would try to hit the temple again.

~ v ~

When the darkened clouds finally began to dissipate, the sun was far too low for it to have an impact on the sky line. Raimundo joined his friends for dinner, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

"That took way a lot longer than it should have." He sighed over his noodles. "I knocked over a pile of scrolls that I already read and had to sort through them again to find the one scroll I needed."

"At least you're done now." Kimiko smiled. "You can just chill out for the rest of the day."

"What was it you had to research?" Omi asked after a sip of tea.

"The legend of Long Mu*, she was some lady that raised and trained the first five dragon warriors. In honor of her sacrifice, the dragons continued to protect the temple after her death. From their whiskers, these robes were made and passed down to powerful warriors. Some stuff with Wuya happened, the original temple was destroyed, and Dashi rebuilt it. The day it was finished was the first dragon festival." He rubbed his temples. "Huge chunks of the scroll were missing, but Dojo wasn't anywhere to help."

"Now hold on minute, what do you mean _five _dragons?" Clay asked. "There are only four of us." Raimundo frowned. Five robes were made for the dragon warriors. One was missing; the other was on the back of the Grand Master.

"Right, there are four dragons in training, one dragon warrior," Raimundo agreed, "Grand Master Bardon has to be the last one, he was wearing one of the robes-" A loud siren blared through the hall. "Not again—alright, move out!"

~ v ~

The group plowed into the vault, a bitter breeze ventilated the darkness. Through the dampened lamp light they could see the staircase had been lowered, yet it didn't appear that anything had been taken.

"Let's go check it out." Kimiko suggested, but Raimundo held up a hand.

"Hold up, something isn't quite right." There was a subtle sound of metal hitting stone, at the far corner of the temple vault. "Fan out." He whispered. Kimiko swept the side of the vault with a blast from the Hanabi Star. The flames licked at the floor, creating shadows of a lone figure along the wall.

"Shoku Wind!" Raimundo summoned and sent a torrent toward the source of the shadow. After a few tumbles, Jack stumbled into view.

"Jack Spicer!" Kimiko hissed, "How did you get past our security?!"

"Are you kidding?" Jack scoffed, as he straightened his jacket. "The vault combination is my ringtone." He glanced nervously at the vault. "Besides, that motion sensor laser is easily avoidable."

"If it's so easy to avoid, how'd it get tripped?" Raimundo asked, as he slid into a fighting stance.

"I don't know. Maybe it was a bird." Jack shrugged. Clay wrinkled his brow. Jack was one for monologuing, that was for sure, but this was too casual for a typical break in into the vault. He wasn't making his usual jabs at the team, yet he also wasn't begging for his life. He was stalling. Slipping behind the others to check on the vault, he noticed a few of the drawers had been opened. There was the slight feeling of warmth behind him, and as he turned he grabbed the first thing he could to block the swing of a sword.

"Well, well, well. Look who's back!" Clay grimaced. The bell chain in his grasp was silent, but his snide comment caught the attention of his teammates. In a frenzy, the other monks chased after Jack who was zooming around the room with the help of his helipack.

Le Mime gritted his teeth. The handle of his sword was weighted with the crystallized sounds from the bells and drawers of the vault. Without the Reversing Mirror, they wouldn't do him much use. He took a step back, which gave Clay a chance to let go of the bells. As he reached for the Fist of Tebigong, Le Mime took another slash, nicking Clay on the arm. With a sly grin, Le Mime swung the sword in a lazy circle. Clay slide his hand into the glove and opened his mouth the call out the Wu's name.

But nothing came out.

The Wu refused to summon magical strength. Taking advantage of his confusion, Le Mime kicked Clay in the chin, sending him stumbling backwards. Raimundo slipped behind them, and used the mute bells as a bola. Le Mime became tangled, his weapon dropped out of reach.

Kimiko's rapid fire technique finally produced results. One of the flaming missiles aimed right for Jack's chest.

"Reversing Mirror!" He shouted. Kimiko dodged the rebound and threw another that hit the square into one of Jack's propeller blade. He crashed a few meters away.

"Get him Omi!" Kimiko shouted. The boy genius scrambled backwards in a haphazard crab walk. Omi gripped the Orb of Tornami in his hands as he stared at the face of his longtime rival. Though Jack looked frightened, Omi couldn't shake the haunting image of the aged Emperor of Darkness that had lead to the demise of his friends. "Omi, what are you doing?" His muscles felt ridged and cold, and once again he couldn't will his limbs to move. Jack pulled himself to his feet and ran away from the tiny Xiaolin Warrior.

"I-I forgot my Jack bots at home!" Jack squealed. "I'll be back though!" He ran out of the temple and the monks focus turned to Le Mime.

"Clay," Raimundo asked as he repeatedly slapped the gasping Cowboy on the back, "what's going on?" Dojo slithered out of Clay's hat and made a beeline toward the sword. He riffled through the cluster of orbs until he found a light green one. Heedless of the monks warnings, Dojo swallowed the orb like a bitter pill. With a hoarse cough he held up the katana.

"Behold the dreaded Sword of Silence. A powerful Shen Gong Wu that has been causing me trouble all day. Clay I believe this is yours." He tossed a golden orb. "Fair warning, it'll taste like it sounds so…" He trailed off leaving the judgment up for interpretation. Clay swallowed it quickly, pounding on his chest as it crawled down his throat.

"Why would someone make something like this?" Raimundo took the sword from Dojo to examine it closer.

"Well, to keep people from using other Wu." Dojo nodded. "If Wu acted on thought," he whistled, "we may not have had as many Grand Masters as we do. Kids think weird things sometimes, best to keep that away from magic at all cost."

"What are we going to do with him?" Clay asked.

"I'm sure the Eiffel Tower misses him dearly." Kimiko chuckled, the Golden Tiger Claws in hand.

~ v ~

The house was as dark as Jack had left it. He thundered down the stairs to his lab and flicked on the lights. To his surprise, the lab was completely trashed. Nothing seemed to be missing, but all of his stuff had been tossed about and rifled through. Cast aside on the floor was Le Mime's Serpent's Tail. The usual ambiance of humming machines was broken by a dark chuckle from the ceiling.

"It seems someone was looking for you, or at least something you have."

"Hannibal Bean!" Jack exclaimed. "W-what do you want?"

"Me? I was just trying to provide decent company, seeing how the last person you let in your home wanted to rob you blind." Hannibal gestured an undulating sprout toward Jack's chest. "He probably didn't notice you were wearing it the whole time." Jack tugged on a chain around is neck to stare his shrunken Reversing Mirror. It had done a good job acting as a safety net for when he was unarmed.

"No, that doesn't make sense. Le Mime won't use everyday Wu." Jack said with a shake of his head. Hannibal was trying to play him again, probably trashed the lab too. "He doesn't talk."

"But combined with the Sword of Silence he could." Hannibal suggested casually. "Then again, natural magic tends to be unpredictable in the presence of the Shen Gong Wu." Jack's shocked face made him chuckle. "What, did Wuya forget to teach you that when you learned to detect magic?"

"Wuya didn't teach me to detect magic, she always did it herself." Jack confessed. Hannibal scoffed at the idea.

"That's the first thing one learns aside from the basic rules of magic." He waited a beat before prompting. "To gain ultimate power one must…"

"Take over the world?" Jack offered.

"Make the ultimate sacrifice!" Hannibal corrected. "Like your clown friend gave up his voice to use magic, or how Dashi gave up his body to achieve enlightenment. What kind of apprentice doesn't-"

"I was never Wuya's apprentice!" Jack interjected. "She never taught me anything. We were partners, well, we were supposed to be. I had to figure everything out on my own."

"Oh," Hannibal shrugged, "I guess she never trusted you." He always had a talent for hitting sore spots. The way the red headed genius deflated over a single sentence was delicious.

"That- that's her loss." Jack snorted. "I don't need her. I don't need anyone and that includes you." He turned his back and loaded a cleaning program into two of the Jack Bots.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, kid." Hannibal said with a shake of his head. He sneered as a third Jack-Bot floated up toward his hiding spot in the rafters. "I'd prefer to show myself out."

~ v ~

Later that night, Omi sat under the temple's protected awning as rain pounded on the ground. Master Fung quietly took a seat next to him, his gaze trained on the temple ground.

"I am surprised you have yet to question my decision in letting Raimundo advance before you." Master Fung stated gently. "What changed?"

"I have brought shame to this temple." Omi frowned.

"Oh? How so?"

"I stood in the face of the enemy, and I froze, I- I couldn't fight." He pulled his legs to his chest. "…a few times."

"Omi," Master Fung said sternly, "you cannot bring shame to this temple by being human." He sighed. "A warrior's honor is not tied to his courage. We protect those who cannot protect themselves, yes, but that duty alone is not what defines us." Omi nodded absently. He meant no disrespect, but he knew if he were to try to speak his mind we would begin sniveling again. "I have no doubts that you will be able to find a balance."

***Long Mu: Also spelled Longmu, translates literally into 'Mother of Dragons'. She is human figure in Chinese mythology that transcended to the status of goddess after raising five dragons.**

**AN: Sorry this is taking so long. I ran into some serious writer's block when it came to the final battle scene for this chapter, had to cut a few scenes too for length. Thank you all for reading and reviewing.**


	3. Father Dearest

Jack smacked into the dirt of a playground in Taiwan, Raimundo stood triumphantly in front of him.

"Give it up Spicer, the Orcish Staff is ours." Raimundo smirked.

"And you're scaring the little ones." Clay sighed as a small crowd of third graders gathered around.

"Hey, it wasn't my idea to hide the Wu in a school yard." Jack argued as he dusted himself off.

"In the defense of the old masters," Dojo peeped from under Clay's hat, "the staff was here long before anyone built a school here."

"Look, can't we settle this with a showdown like civilized people?" Granted, Jack only considered this because a bunch of his bots were smoldering on playground equipment.

"We can't!" Kimiko gasped. "Somebody's already run off with the Wu." The five turned to see the sandbox they were fighting over was empty. A loud whistle blew through the playground as an angry teacher stormed towards them. Jack quickly started up his helipack.

"Mom can't find out I'm ditching class!" He cried as he flew off.

"Madam," Omi began, "there is a most logical explanation for all of this. As Xiaolin Warriors, we made sure no one got hurt."

"Though we certainly have seen better days." Clay shook his head. "We'll get this all cleaned up for you mam'"

"I don't know what-" The teacher began. "All of you are coming with me to the office right now." As she scolded them, a man in a black suit came running up behind her.

"Wait!" He panted. "It is alright Ms. Si Daeng. They are with Tohomiko Industries. We can handle the situation from here." The teacher reluctantly nodded and left.

"Tomo-san!" Kimiko cheered. "It's been so long! What are you doing here?"

"We're preparing for a video conference nationwide to promote an interest in science into young minds." After the conference, the Xiaolin Dragons were able to talk to Mr. Tohomiko privately.

"I heard you got in another scuffle." He said. "It seems you are a little worse for wares." He eyed Kimiko's bruises cautiously.

"We're fine papa." Kimiko sighed. "We just wanted to thank you for getting us out of trouble. This won't be easy to explain to the board."

"Nothing involving Jack is ever easy." Raimundo groaned. "If you need any help, I can talk it over with Master Fung."

"We were also wondering if you had any presents?" Omi asked. His teammates shook their heads, but Mr. Tohomiko just laughed.

"It's fine really. As for presents, I do not have any new toys yet, but maybe you would be interested in testing out some other gadgets for me?" Clay and Omi looked to Raimundo with hopeful gleams in their eyes.

"Hunh?" That's right, he was leader now. He's supposed to call shots like this. "I don't see why not... Kimiko, you have more experience with this kind of thing, what do you think?"

"I may be a little out of practice," She grinned, "but I'm game."

"Wonderful," Mr. Tohomiko beamed, "the first thing I will be sending should arrive in a few days.

~V~

Within the lower levels of the mountainside lair, Wuya sat surrounded by unfurled, musty scrolls. She stared tiredly at the poor handwriting, nothing had been helpful. It seemed the side effect of breaking Dashi's seal was an unforeseen event. Her spirit was firmly bound to her flesh and blood, however the extent to which the magic would revert her to this form; well, she shuddered to think of the experiments necessary to find out. It would be better to leave well enough alone where her 'immortality' was concerned.

Of only one thing she was certain. Her body was created through magical means, and much like the Mobi Morpher, was a tangible illusion. Whether or not she would age, she would simply have to wait and see.

"I figured you of all people would be all over eternal youth." A rough voice chuckled from the rafters. Wuya startled and poised to the fight the intruder. Hannibal slid out from the shadows, a Cheshire grin on his face. "It's not like you to mope this long."

"I'm not moping," Wuya rolled her eyes as she relaxed, "though if Dashi were here, I'd certainly grind him into the ground. A man should never tamper with a woman's appearance, it's rude."

"So you're hair will be perpetually out of style," Hannibal shrugged, "you have legs and arms don't you? People have fought wars to gain what you have achieved."

"I haven't achieved anything!" Wuya spat. "If somebody asked me, I wouldn't have chosen this. I never wanted this."

"You're starting to sound like Chase." Hannibal drawled. "It would be a pity if you were to go soft like he has." He smirked at her alarmed face. "Now what was it he said afterward? 'Ruling the world isn't as appealing if you have to defend it for eternity' or was it 'This human form before you is just an elaborate illusion'. One of the two; I stop paying attention every time he whines." He yawned. Wuya took a deep breath, she had to regain control of the situation.

"He may have given up, but I haven't." She hissed. "Dashi's puzzle box couldn't stop me, and this little 'side effect' isn't going to drag me down either. I'll find a way around this; just like everything else those Xiaolin cronies have thrown at me."

"Perhaps," Hannibal agreed, "though without any magic, I don't see how you'll manage that. On your own, that is."

"Thank you," Wuya smiled slyly, "but I'll save my pity card for another day. I haven't given up yet. First things first, I need to stop digging through these dead scrolls and find something that actually provides results!" She stormed out of the room to leave Hannibal to grumble in the dark. Plan B had failed; he'd just have to cast a wider net this time. However, his resources were running a little dry. He need a pair of arms and legs that were more than simply gullible. What he needed, was a deadly force of evil.

~V~

"Check it out!" Kimiko held up a metal collar with a bow on the back. "Papa calls it Rivit. It's supposed to fight alongside the user." She tried it on, quickly bringing the machine to life. Two spindly arms emerged from the bow and gently waved in the air.

"What wondrous magic." Omi squealed as he poked one of the hands. The collar poked him back.

"Papa says he was inspired by the Shen Gong Wu we brought with us."

"You better be careful with that." Clay warned as he skimmed through the diagram. "The data chip is closer to the hinge than two peas in a pod. If you don't take that thing off right, you could break it." Rivit's arm poked Clays hat, but the cowboy refused to let the ten gallon leave his head.

"I'll make sure Papa hears that in the first feedback message." She blocked another poke from Rivit with her hand.

"Listen to you nerds," Raimundo said as he got poked as well, "getting all technical and stuff in front of Omi."

"Hey!" Omi shouted. "I too can converse about department stores."

"... you can't possibly mean 'talk shop'." Raimundo groaned.

"Enough witty banter kids," Dojo said as he carted in a mini TV, "we've got a situation on our hands." The five huddled around a news broadcast about a robbery. A frightening monster stormed into a Mc Donald's in Taiwan, demanding an eight piece nugget meal. When denied service, the front counter was smashed in half by a strange weapon.

"Sounds like the missing Orcish Staff." Raimundo concluded.

"Could it be Katnappe again?" Asked Omi.

"I don't think a girl like that would shake down a Mc Donald's for eight nuggets." Kimiko shook her head. "Then again, stranger things have happened."

"I think we should investigate the area and-" Raimundo fell silent as a cold hand poked him in the neck. "Okay, seriously girl, give the gadget a rest." Kimiko couldn't help but giggle at his overreaction.

"Okay, okay." She held up her hands in surrender.

"Kimiko, as a Xiaolin Dragon in training, you should show your leader more respect. Even if it is just Raimundo." Omi scolded. Raimundo didn't know why what Omi said unsettled him, but it dampened the mood of the group.

"Come on guys, let's go find out whose butt we get to kick!" The dragons cheered and climbed aboard Dojo to head back to Taiwan.

~V~

After a series of interrogations, which in a cartoon would be put to music as a montage, the monks found themselves at a movie theater. There was a loud crash and the sound of breaking glass coming from inside. Before they could rush in and save the day, they were stopped by an employee.

"You can't enter without a ticket." She stated.

"I'm sorry little lady," Clay explained, "but we're Xiaolin Warriors, we've come to clear up your little problem." A handful of people ran out of the theater screaming.

"Not without a ticket." She shrank at their disappointed faces. "I want to help you, really, but management's been breathing down my neck about the number of sick days I've taken. I can't get away with letting a bunch of kids in for free." There was a pause filled with the sound of destruction.

"Alright, how much money do we have?" Raimundo sighed. Between the four of them and a shake from Dojo, they scraped together enough money. "Four tickets to Sugar Bees."

"If you leave before the movie's over you can get your money back." She handed them their tickets. "Thank you and enjoy your magic jujitsu or whatever you guys plan on doing." It was belated, but the four monks struck a heroic pose over the movie theater carnage.

"Tremble in fear evil doer." Omi shouted. On top of the concession stand, was little girl brandishing the Orcish Staff like an oversized baseball bat.

"That uniform..." Clay realized. "She's one of the little ones from the school." The girl turned to face them. Half of her face had transformed into that of a grotesque monster. The arm that she used to hold the weapon was equally monstrous. The group was unable to suppress their disgusted reaction. "Though I've seen prettier faces on a spud." He whistled.

"Clay!" Kim snapped.

"Hey, anything is possible." Raimundo shrugged. "My mom found a potato chip she thought looked like Leonardo DiCaprio once. I'm pretty sure she still keeps it in her memory box next to Avozinha's ring."

"Who are you?" The girl asked. "Did the school send you?"

"No, we are Xiaolin Warriors." Omi explained. "Actually you have something that belongs to us. You are putting yourself in grave danger by holding onto the magical object."

"I could get into a lot of trouble if I kept this." The third grader supposed.

"Most definitely." Omi agreed.

"Good!" She spat and swung the club-like staff at his head. "You tell that stupid school that I'm never going back." Rivit shielded them from the rubble caused by her escape. It carelessly threw the rubble to the side.

"How could someone so tiny cause so much damage?" Raimundo coughed.

"By now you should know better than to judge a warrior by his size." Omi nodded.

"Actually," Dojo interjected, "it's the nature of the Orcish Staff. Anyone who holds it will have increased strength and invincibility. But the longer you use it, the more monstrous you'll become. If we can't get that kid to drop the Wu soon, we could have a real monster on our hands."

"How're we gonna' manage that?" Clay frowned. "We can't beat up a lil' girl."

"And we don't have time for this!" Dojo shouted as he leaped to the floor and started itching. "We got a new Wu on our hands and this one's a big one. The Revenant Sack has the power to make any Wu powerless."

"Looks like we'll be splitting up." Raimundo said. "Clay, Kim; you two stay here and see if you can talk her into dropping the staff. Omi and I will hunt for the sack."

"Great!" Dojo gasped. "Now can we hurry-up. I think I'm starting to grow warts."

~V~

Raimundo and Omi dismounted in front of a vast mansion. People were lined up out the door just to get inside.

"What is this place?" Omi marveled.

"The Winchester Mystery House. The woman who lived here believed she was haunted by the house until he day she died." Raimundo explained.

"Now it's a tourist venue where you can't use the bathroom." Dojo shuddered. "Let's hurry up and get the Wu." Once again the monks found themselves stopped by an employee who didn't recognize them.

"Has no one heard of the Xiaolin Warriors by now?" Omi gaped as they regrouped outside the line.

"Don't sweat it Omi." Raimundo shrugged. "We can just slip in with the next tour group using this." He pulled the shroud of shadows from Dojo's ear like a magician would pull a rabbit out of a hat. "Shroud of Shadows!" He whispered and covered them. "Just stick close until we get inside." The inside of the house defied logic. Stairs lead to the ceiling, doors opened to solid walls. Eventually they found the sack, but so had Wuya and another familiar face.

"My brother's not with you chowder heads?" A pig-tailed biker asked. "Well this makes things more difficult than it has to be."

"Jessie," Raimundo exclaimed, "and Wuya!?" Omi lunged for the Wu.

"Don't get the wrong idea," Wuya yawned, "I'm not here with the porker." She kicked him away, but Omi efficiently evaded the attack.

"You dirty witch!" Jessie shouted. The three reached the Wu at the same time. "I'll make you eat those words."

"I challenge you two pipsqueaks to a Xiaolin Showdown," Wuya grinned, "my Terracotta Beizi against your Lotus Twister and Wings of Tanabi. We'll have a rat race to the hall of mirrors, first one there wins."

"Agreed." Omi scowled.

"Let's go, Xiaolin Showdown!" They shouted. The mansion faded into sepia tone, and the floor peeled away underneath them. All three competitors were hurtled into the depths of the house. Omi landed on his feet in a room that was built upside down. The ceiling closed up above him. He left the room and ran through a long, twisting hallway separated by solid oak doors that lead to a dead end. He turned back to the door, expecting to find the hallway. However what greeted him was a small dining hall that turned into a ballroom. He slammed the door shut and opened it again. Once more he was greeted by a different section of the house.

"Lotus Twister!" He shouted. If the house was going to change every time he left the room, then he would be in all rooms at once. He stretched forward towards the foyer and ran into Jessie, literally. Omi's rubbery body collided with the floor and Jessie called upon her Wu once more. As quickly as the color had drained from the house, it returned. Omi's body snapped back to its original state.

"If you don't have the Wu." Jessie frowned, "then that means."

"I hate to grab and go," Wuya cackled, "but I have a few new Wu to sort through." She ran off leaving the losers to mull over their defeat. Raimundo quickly joined them with Dojo on his shoulder.

"What happened?" Omi asked.

"She used the Terracotta Beizi to burrow under the maze and immediately reached the hall of mirrors." Raimundo sighed. "We'll have to be more careful about the showdowns we pick."

"While refusing to participate in a showdown is an automatic forfeit of the Wu," Dojo speculated, "if you declare the challenge first you can tailor it to fit your needs."

"The real question is what are you doing here Jessie?" Raimundo asked.

"I too would like an explanation." Omi eyed her up. "Please be as detailed as possible."

"Would you two listen to yourselves," Jessie blew at her bangs, "I called in a favor with a little pest. I don't know if it's my phone or Clay's, but I can't text the bonehead anymore." She pulled a sheet of paper out of her jacket pocket. "This is for Clay, tell him that Mom n' Patrick are bringing Granny Lily this year, so he'll have to sleep in the kid's cabin with the rest of us. And if he wants to bring more than one friend, I need a new bike seat cover and Patty has his eyes on the next Goo Zombies." She waved goodbye. "I'll probably see you two in a week or so." Omi snatched the paper from Raimundo's hands.

"Raimundo, what is a family reunion and why would we be required to bring a bag of washers? Are we going to be washing something?" Raimundo took the paper back and folded it up.

"That's something we can ask Clay later." He shook his head. "The others have the Silver Manta Ray with them, we should head back to the temple to see if they're back yet."

~V~

"Why are we at a mall again?" Clay asked.

"Well if I was a kid ditching school, this is where I'd go." Kimiko replied. A ravenous roar rang through the crowded floor.

"I think that's our gal." Clay said with a tip of his hat. The two ran toward that source. "Young lady," Clay called, "we've had enough playing games. It's time to give back the staff."

"You again?" The girl growled. "I thought I told you to leave me alone. No one ever listens!" An electronic voice started to emanate commands.

"Hostile target located. Situation above safety level for subject Bug Catcher." A metal arm spiraled toward the ceiling, transforming into a triple barrel laser.

"Kimiko, what's going on?" Clay asked.

"I-I don't know, this wasn't in the manual!" Kimiko shouted as she pressed the power button repeatedly, to no avail.

"Target locked."

"Little lady, watch out!" Clay dove into the line of fire. "Wudai Jupiter, Earth!" He punched the ground, creating a shallow dip to protect them from Kimiko's blast. "Kimiko, take that thing off!"

"I can't, not without breaking it!" She pulled on the robotic arm and continued to hold the power button. "I can get this under control Clay!" Clay picked up the girl and dodged another blast. "This thing is worth more than the entire mall!"

"There won't be a mall if you don't shut that thing down!" Clay snapped.

"Just give me a minute, I know I can-"

"Break it already!"

"I can't break another one of my dad's inventions!" Kimiko cried. Clay was running out of room, and Kimiko couldn't hold off Rivit's aim for long. It pained her to do this, but she had no choice. As Rivit warmed up for a final shot, Kimiko unclasped the collar and snapped the data chip. All life drained from the silver limbs. Her body felt heavy as she sank to the floor. "Clay, I'm so sorry." Oh for heaven's sake she was crying, how embarrassing. She picked herself off the ground and stumbled to help Clay.

"I'm fine Kimiko, what about you little lady?" The girl he had shielded dropped the Orcish Staff. Her human features slowly returned behind her tears.

"M-my name's Madison Si Daeng and I-I want to go home!" She apologized profusely for causing them trouble while reciting her parent's information. The mother was livid to say the least. Kimiko stared at the expensive scrap in her hand.

"We can't have something like this happen again." She sighed. "I'll talk to Papa and tell him that we won't be able to help him." Clay gave her a rough pat on her head.

"When we tell Master Fung about this, let's make sure to do it over cake and tea."

~V~

Wuya walked into the dank dining hall of Chase's fortress. An occasional wild cat would dully walk by her, paying little mind to the general goings on of their master's estate. As a black crow glided overhead, she took her place at the far end of Chase's table.

"It's not often that you have guests," he commented, offering his bird a grape, "to what do we owe such an occasion?"

"What's it to you?" Wuya sneered, her eyes trained on the feathered tattle tale.

"It certainly concerns me if you plan on sabotaging me again."

"Sabotage? All you've been doing is sitting on your rear all day, petting your cats like an old biddy. Forgive me for trying to take a little initiative." She rolled her eyes and slapped the Revenant Sack onto the table.

"I hardly think running around chasing band-aid solutions qualifies as 'taking initiative'. The key to any good plan is patience. However, I refuse to share the spoils of any conquest with someone who associates with the likes of Hannibal Bean."

"You honestly expect me to listen to you? You have stripped me of my powers, restricted my movements, and if you think I'll let you dictate who I associate with, you're dead wrong." Wuya hissed. "As if there was anything you could offer me that could possibly change my mind."

"Interesting you should say that, seeing how you were snooping around my private library. There is only one way to 'fix' our little problem, but the monks are standing in the way." Having caught Wuya's interest, Chase coolly dismissed his pets.

"Just what are you getting at?" She asked, as she slowly sunk back into her seat.

"I'm asking you to trust me." Trust? That was a laugh. What villain in their right mind would blindly trust one another? However, the possibility had merit; after all, Chase had bothered to show interest in the matter. For Chase to send away his entourage, it had to be something serious. If this was his idea of a trap, it was poorly executed at best. No threats or intimidation tactics coupled with a deliberate exclusion of Hannibal Bean; something had to be up.

"Alright, I'm listening."

"The Xiaolin Temple was built upon the grave of a great evil." Chase explained. "If memory serves me correct, his greatest treasure is still hidden on the temple grounds. We just need to create an adequate distraction for the monks to retrieve it."

~V~

Kimiko sat in the dark as she video chatted with her father.

"Rivit is toast Papa, I even lost the broken data chip." She placed her hot tea next to a half eaten slice of cake. "It's my fault the mall got wrecked, but the guys insisted on sharing the punishment chores. It's Tamochika all over again." She groaned.

"This is a little different than breaking a doll I told you not to touch and lying about it." Her dad chuckled.

"But the effect is the same!" Kimiko argued. "The board will shut down the project, we'll owe thousands of dollars that you'll work overtime to pay off and there's nothing I can do to make it up to you."

"Sweetie, you don't owe me anything. I'm a father. I'm the one who's supposed to worry about you." He chuckled. "It's my fault for slipping in an untested defense mechanism. I can't protect you from here in Tokyo, and I thought Rivit would be perfect way to do that." He sighed. "Don't worry about the board or money, that's my job."

"Alright Papa. It's almost 10:30 over here, so I'll have to let you go."

"Goodnight little Bug Catcher."

"Good night."

~V~

Jack hunched over the metal skeleton of an android. Heavy metal blasted from his ipod as he welded. The raspy caw of a hawk failed to grab his attention. So he shrieked when Ying Ying landed on his shoulder.

"What do you want?" He demanded. After pulling himself out of the scrap pile. He glared at the bird. "And where's the magical fruit?" It wordlessly dropped a cracked hard drive chip on his table. "Learning hardware? Hey where did you get this?"

It was too late, the bird was gone.

**AN: Avozinha is Portuguese for Grandmother. This was an interesting one to put together, and ended up being shorter than other chapters. I apologize that these chapters are taking so far, I underestimated how difficult episodic writing would be. I haven't given up on this story, though I may end up with a few more two-parters than I was hoping, but my beta gets antsy anytime I go over 5,000 words per chapter. I've already started the next episode. Hopefully, my new work schedule will allow me to get the next chapter out sooner.**


	4. Chase Two Point O

Raimundo stacked five scrolls on the table in front of Master Fung.

"I've finished refurbishing the scrolls on the dragon festival." Raimundo yawned. "I tried to leave out Dojo's commentary, but some of it might have snuck in."

"Excellent work young monk." Master Fung nodded. "I will handle the ritual scroll, the rest can go back to the archives." Raimundo sat down for a cup of tea.

"It belongs in the ceremony room, doesn't it." Master Fung froze mid sip. "Is there a map or something of all the places we aren't allowed to go. I'd like to avoid running into the Grand Master again."

"So you have met my teacher." Master Fung proposed.

"Yeah, not looking forward to a second meeting." Raimundo sighed. "I don't understand why a guy like that is still in charge of the temple if he hates us."

"That sounds like an excellent topic for your next Shoku assignment." Master Fung proposed.

"Another one already?" Raimundo choked on his tea.

"I want you to understand the ways of the warriors who came before you. One day, you will be the one in charge of the temple." Raimundo gathered four of the scrolls to leave. "Why such reluctance?"

"Well, it's not like anyone will be able to help me." He said as he shuffled out of the room.

~V~

There was a thunderous roar of machinery in Jack's basement. Electricity pulsated through amplifiers around the boy genius. With uncharacteristic care, he placed the repaired data chip into a bronze android's head. He cackled maniacally to the sky.

"I am your master." He proclaimed. "You will listen to no orders other than my own. You will fight for me, look out for me, and clean up after me! My every wish is your-"

"Telephone for you sir." A Jack bot announced.

"Every time I get on an evil rant." He grumbled. "What!? Oh, sorry mum. Yeah I'm eating okay." A robot crashed into one of the generators. He cringed. "That? That's a friend. Well I can't control what he does, he's my friend mom. Friends do whatever they want." He pulled the phone from his ear to dampen the sound of his mother yelling.

"If those robots trash my house again mister."

"It wasn't the bots mom, I have a friend over. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Okay. Goodnight mom." He hung up the phone with a sigh. "Now then, as I was saying," he turned back to his lab, "you will surpass anything I've created before." He opened the android's chest and placed the Heart of Jong inside. It reacted to the familiar environment and sealed the door. "This is gonna' be sweet!" He boasted to his robot audience, popcorn in hand. "Now rise! Rise and tell me, what is your name?" Previously rigid features softened in the presence of magic. A pair of golden eyes opened for the first time. The android fluidly jumped to the ground without making a sound.

"My name is Chase Young." The bot stated.

"And whose side are you on?" Spicer squealed.

"Yours."

"I think you and I will get along juuust fine." He purred.

~V~

Outside of the temple, the Xiaolin warriors loaded up to go on another Wu hunt.

"I wish I could join you guys, but Master Fung hit me with another Shoku assignment." He groaned.

"We understand Rai," Clay said with a smile, you can join us on the next hunt, I'm sure." Raimundo nodded halfheartedly.

"Hey Omi, before you go; I got to talk to you about something."

"Of course!" Raimundo pulled the young monk off to the side. "Do you need my expertise for your assignment?"

"Not quite." He crouched down to Omi's level. "I'm going to need your help on," he checked to see if anyone was listening, "a secret mission."

"Really!?" Omi shouted.

"Yeah, yeah, just keep your voice down. All you have to do is keep an eye on Kimiko during the next few showdowns."

"Why would this need to be a secret?" Omi asked apprehensively. Raimundo whispered the reason in Omi's ear. The young monk's eyes widened considerably. "Oh ho!" He laughed. "Not to worry, I'll make sure everything goes slippery."

"It's smoothly, and whatever you do, don't tell Clay. I love the guy, but he's a total blabber mouth. Now I've got to go, you think you can handle this?"

"Absolutely. No one will suspect a thing." He zipped his mouth shut.

~V~

Omi could not wipe the goofy grin off his face through the entire flight.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Kimiko asked.

"I'm just doing what I was told." He beamed. "I'm sure Master Fung would love to hear about how you choose to redeem yourself after your performance last week." Raimundo said not to tell anyone, but there was nothing wrong with a few hints. Kimiko cringed.

"The least I could do is get the Wu." She sighed. "We should fan out and look for the Bubbo Bubble."

"And I will be over here, watching!" Omi said in sing-song.

"Little partner, I'm not sure that's the most constructive use of your time." Clay said. Laughter rained down from the sky as Jack Spicer descended.

"Long time no see Xiaolin Dorks." He grinned.

"Oh Jack, another tin can army?" Wuya chortled from the tree tops. "They aren't even a decent warm up anymore. Why bother?" His robotic army hung their heads in shame.

"Yes," Omi agreed, "please cease the creation of your metal punching bags."

"You won't be saying that when you see my newest creation." He snapped his fingers and Robo Chase sprung from the trees. Nailed the evil entrance.

"Sweet Mary n' Joseph." Clay gasped. There was a short pause interrupted by Wuya's raucous laughter.

"This is great, he's even prepubescent!" She leaned on the tree for support.

"Yeah, I tried to give him a prehensile tail, but the hinges kept seizing up." His creation shot back an indignant look, well aware their foe was laughing at them, not with them.

"Stop, I can't breathe!" Wuya gasped.

"This is wrong on so many stages." Omi murmured.

"You said it." Kimiko agreed.

"Enough!" Robo Chase roared. "We came to find the Shen Gong Wu, not listen to your prattle." At the mention of the Wu, there was a gentle glow from the bushes.

"Get it Kimiko!" Omi cheered. There was a mad dash to the Wu. Robo Chase tried to stare down his opponents, but Wuya couldn't stop laughing and Kimiko was trying not to look at him at all.

"We'll compete in a test of wits." Robo Chase decided. "First to find the Bubbo Bubble wins."

"Our Third Arm Sash against the Monkey Staff." Kimiko stated.

"And I'll wager the Revenant Sack," Wuya interjected, "that shouldn't be a problem right?" She asked with feigned ignorance.

"Then let's go," Robo Chase began, "Xiaolin Showdown!" The ground beneath them erupted into a vast mountain. The rest of the world crumbled away at the base, leaving the spectators to sit on a floating island of their own.

"Gong Yi Tampi!" The Wu vanished from their grasp, hidden somewhere within the mountain. An ethereal voice, carried by the wind, whispered in their ears.

"This old one runs forever, but never moves at all. He has not lungs nor throat, but still a mighty roar."

"Alright google," Kimiko muttered, "show me what you got." She typed the clue into her PDA as Robo Chase darted off. Wuya followed close behind.

"Can you not figure out something so simple on your own?" Robo Chase asked snidely. "At your age, one would think you wrote the thing."

"Well, it seems he kept one of Chase's more annoying qualities," Wuya hissed with a kick, "disrespect." She opened the Revenant Sack and called its name. The Monkey Staff's light was sucked into the coin purse. She knocked the robot off balance, ready to punch it in the chest. "Without magic, that Shen Gong Wu is useless." Robo Chase considered this for a moment, then swung the staff at her middle. The impact knocked her to the ground.

"That is not how a sacred object should be handled!" Dojo booed from the sidelines. Robo Chase encroached on a waterfall at the same time as Kimiko. Omi bounced with excitement at the edge of his seat. Each blow Kimiko failed to land did not damper Omi's joy. It was like the robot knew all of her moves, yet made no attempt to grab the Wu nestled within the falls.

"Used your computer to solve a simple puzzle?" Robo Chase sneered.

"Said the pot to the kettle!" Clay shot back. He sat next to Omi and raised a brow. "Alright lil' partner, you're jittery than a turkey on Thanksgiving. What's going on?"

"Oh no," Omi shook his head," our leader entrusted me with this mission, not you. You my friend, can not keep a secret." He tilted his head to the sky.

"Says who?" Clay frowned.

"Says our leader, that's who."

"Now Rai's gotten us out of some sticky situations before, but he's wrong about this." Clay argued. "I bet you could tell me about it, and no one would find out. Say, one week's worth of chores?" Omi considered the offer.

"Three days for a hint." He bartered.

"One day." Omi leaned in and whispered to him. "Master Fung wouldn't do that to Kimiko, would he?" He gasped. Their voices carried to the showdown, where Kimiko was having difficulties keeping her own. Why was Master Fung telling Omi to keep an eye on her. Had she really messed up that bad? Each time she tried to use the sash, Robo Chase would misdirect it. She couldn't let the team down, the Wu was right below her feet. In her distracted state, Robo Chase was able to land a powerful kick to the stomach before she could call out the Wu's name again.

"I make you weak at the worst of times and make your heart grow cold." He rested a heavy foot on her abdomen. "I promise safety to the weak and vengeance to the bold." Kimiko found herself staring down the barrel of an eerily familiar laser. If she could just get the Wu. "What am I?"

"Third Arm Sash." She coughed.

"Defense Protocol Beta." He stated mechanically. The laser aimed for the sash. With one hand he threw her down into the water. Her weapon failed to find Wu or solid ground and she hurtled into the lake. The subsequent splash brought the Wu up to Robo Chase who plucked it from the air. The showdown was over and the monks were Wu-less.

"That surely will go on the list of most humiliating defeats." Omi nodded. "Master Fung will definitely be hearing about this." Kimiko could only imagine what could possibly be in store when they returned.

"Don't worry, Raimundo's loss of the Sword of the Storm is still number one." Dojo swiftly hid a sheet of paper in his ear. "Not that we have a list." He chuckled nervously at Kimiko's fierce look.

Robo Chase returned to his master with Wu in hand. Wuya casually brushed by the boy genius.

"So the robot's not a total waste of space." She mused. "I'm sure the real Chase won't be happy about this." She left, he laughter renewed. Robo Chase glared at his master.

"I expect and explanation." Jack held his hands up in surrender, but Robo Chase advanced. "You said I was Chase Young, this body agrees. So why does everyone else disagree."

"Come on, let's not fight in public. I'll explain everything when we get home. Just take the Wu and let's go." Jack ushered his creation towards the ship without a second glance.

~V~

Wuya lounged by the poolside, snickering as Chase paced about his abode. No doubt he had watched the showdown with his magic eye. He was avoiding the subject, but she could tell Jack's new little 'friend' unnerved him.

"Loosing that showdown cost us a valuable piece to our plan." Chase growled.

"Well, you know what they say," Wuya teased, "if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. Unless you're too scared. No one would blame you, Jack's smothering neediness is enough to make anyone's skin crawl, and I didn't even have skin for the longest time." She examined her nails.

"I am not afraid of Spicer!" He shouted. "Jack Spicer is not even worth considering as cat food!" A few calming breaths brought him back within reason. "Having a machine in my likeness is insulting at best."

"You should sue." Wuya chortled.

"This isn't funny! I'll destroy that disgusting display myself, then I will deal with your ineptitude!" He shot a glare at the rafters. "If you don't want to end up as lunch, then get out." With ruffled feathers Ying Ying flew off to report back to her master.

~V~

Raimundo sat outside to wait for his friends' return. Surrounded by scrolls, he scribbled down notes on what he would report to Master Fung. A lot of it was a rehash of what he learned while researching the Dragon Festival. Five dragons, each with their own element would protect the world from evil. However there could only be one dragon warrior of a given element at a time. He looked up from his studies as his friends landed. The reason they were here, was because something happened to the other Xiaolin Dragons.

"Hey guys." He said putting down his scrolls. "How'd it go?"

"Bad," Kimiko groaned, "legendarily so, it seems. What about you?"

"Almost done, I have to write my conclusion in full sentences before I can go. I gotta talk to Omi for a bit, can you guys take Dojo to see Master Fung?" Raimundo asked. Kimiko couldn't help her curiosity.

"What's this about?"

"Let us just say, there won't be three Xiaolin Apprentices for long." Omi said slyly.

"Well you better get going," Raimundo said with a clap, "Master Fung doesn't like to be kept waiting. Not sure what it's about and honestly when it comes to stuff involving Dojo, I learned not to ask." He cringed.

"We gotcha' Rai." Clay nodded. Kimiko tried to object, but Raimundo was already pulling Omi off to another section of the temple. Kimiko walked with Clay to the meditation room.

"Clay, you don't think they're going to demote me?" She asked sullenly. "I put a lot of people's lives at risk with Rivet's over active defense protocol, but I took care of it." Clay wasn't saying anything to comfort her. In fact, he wasn't saying anything at all. His lips scrunched inward and Dojo suddenly found the temple ceiling quite fascinating. "I'm sure if I explain to Master Fung what happened during the Showdown..." She froze and whipped out her PDA, punching in 'Defense Protocol Beta'. A blue print popped up that nearly made her drop her phone. "Oh no."

When they entered the meditation hall, Master Fung soon had Dojo clinging to his head.

"What is it young monk?" Master Fung asked. "You seem troubled."

"I have something I need to talk to you about." Kimiko said in a rush. "But that will have to wait. I think Jack's new robot has the Rivit learning program."

"Not only that!" Dojo wheezed. "My throat's dry enough to be a desert. I think we got another Wu on our hands." He looked at Master Fung. "I'll have to stay behind for this one, but the Silver Manta Ray should be able to take you there." He pulled the small bag of Wu out of his ear and tossed it to Kimiko.

"In the wrong hands, that learning program could actually kill people." Kimiko said as she and Clay ran to get the others. "And Jack's hands are definitely the wrong ones. I still have the blue prints on my phone, if we can short out the circuits, that hardware will be-"

"More useless then a coaster at a pool party?"

"Yeah, that." They regrouped and quickly explained the situation to the others. In a flash they were riding to Austria in the Silver Manta ray.

"If we can get a soak the circuits, then we can short out the entire bot." She sighed as she looked at her phone. "Omi should be the one in the showdown."

"But Kimiko, you still haven't redeemed yourself!" Omi argued.

"I know, but destroying the Rivit program is more important right now. Even if I did manage to get inside, I'm not sure I'd be able to trash Papa's work like that again." Kimiko explained. "Omi's more experienced with the orb than any of us... I'll just sit this one out I guess." She didn't want to, she knew that her place as apprentice was in jeopardy; but she couldn't let her pride get them into anymore trouble.

"If you insist." Omi said with a grin. They clambered out of the Manta ray to scour the area. "Getting the Eclipse Collar will be no challenge."

"I wouldn't say such things if I were you." A dark haired man said.

"Chase Young!" Omi gasped. "It is most unusual to see you searching for the Shen Gong Wu."

"This time, it seems we have a common enemy." Chase said as he tilted his head toward his robotic counterpart.

"I have been instructed to gather the Shen Gong Wu while my master hides under a bridge." Robo Chase said tersely. "That bridge over there." He pointed toward an archway that shrieked back an indignant 'HEY!'.

"You will not fool me." Omi said on guard. "Raimundo has already tried that trick on me many, many times." He hopped up onto a street sign, then sprung toward the Eclipse Collar. His opponents jumped as well.

"I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown. The game is Blind Man's Bluff, last one standing wins." Chase stated.

"My Orb of Tornomi against your Black Beetle and Revenant Sack." Omi supplied.

"Let's go, Xiaolin Showdown!" Houses and trees crawled back to the sidelines as three blindfolds swooped in from the sky. The showdown's magic made it impossible to cheat. "Gong Yi Tanpi!" Omi flipped backwards away from the fray.

"Orb of Tornomi!" He shouted, dousing the arena in an artificial rain. Water seeped into Robo Chase's joints, creating small sparks. On reflex, his right arm transformed into a laser and fired in Omi's direction. A huge folly when up against trained martial artists. Both Chase and Omi had pinpointed the robot's location. Omi kicked, Chase punched, and the robot ducked. Both humans collided with each other. The impact caused Omi to drop his precious orb. When they landed, Omi crouched perfectly still. He could hear the faint sparks coming from Robo Chase after each step. Underneath that, the sound of his orb rolling back to him?

There was no time to question. The dragon of water grabbed the orb and stood on it with his hands.

"Orb of Tornomi; Ice!" The ground froze over, but someone had jumped. He heard wooden shoes collide with metal and reveled in the familiar sound of a robotic limb breaking. He skillfully angled his next attack at the robot. "Water!" A geyser of water hit the robot's gaping wound. Sparks flew, and a haunting combination of error messages and a distorted scream filled the air. Omi found purchase on the ice and listened for his remaining opponent.

"Didn't I tell you those toys were a crutch." Chase said from right behind Omi.

"Leopard Chasing Tail!" Omi shouted as he whipped around to punch Chase. The evil doer matched his blow easily.

"Wombat Eating Toast!" Chase proceeded to do a series of kicks that may have resembled the title if viewed by a disinterested dragon laying on his side.

"So you're the reason my orb came back to me!" Omi accused. "Hamster Riding Unicycle!" He kicked up Chase's body, but was stopped before he reached his face.

"Iron Ironing Laundry!" Chase countered, slamming the monk down to the ground. Omi used one hand to remain standing and flipped away from Chase. The two danced around each other for a bit. Omi hit Chase in the chest, causing the Heylin Warrior to tumble over his doppelganger's remains.

After the world righted itself, the villains slunk to their respective corners and Omi returned to his friends. He handled the Eclipse Collar carefully. All the scroll could tell them was it could grant small wishes. Apparently, one of the old masters wanted their hair to grow back after 60 years of baldness. They agreed it was best for Clay to hold onto it until they got back to the temple.

~V~

Kimiko walked through the entry way with a heavy heart. Clay still wasn't making eye contact with her and Omi was on the cusp of gloating about his latest victory. Dojo slithered in, licking batter off of a spoon.

"There you are Kimiko!" He sighed with relief. "Master Fung wants to talk with you, said it's urgent." He looked carefully at the other monks. "It'd be best if everyone was in the room though."

"Don't worry about it," Raimundo said with a pat on the back, "it's not as bad as it seems." They filed into the kitchen, Kimiko tailing at the end.

"You wanted to talk to me." She began as she walked through the archway.

"Indeed I did." Master Fung said with a knowing smile. In the center of the table was a small cake and a folded black robe.

"Surprise!" Omi shouted gleefully.

"Guys..." Kimiko asked slowly. "It's not my birthday, what's going on?"

"You're going up to the next level." Clay said, as if it he had been holding his breath.

"Master Fung wasn't totally convinced you were ready yet," Raimundo added sheepishly, "so I had Omi mess with your head a bit."

"And you passed the test!" Omi grinned. "You were convinced that you would be demoted, weren't you."

"Yeah." Kimiko sighed. "You guys. I can't believe you would do something like this, I could kill you!" She gave them all a huge hug. "Thank you." She whipped around and bowed to Master Fung. "I promise, I won't let you down."

"I know you won't." Master Fung said with smile. "This of course means you will share Shoku assignments with Raimundo." Raimundo fist pumped in quiet celebration. "Which I know did not color his decision, since you will have to provide separate reports." Raimundo instantly deflated and received a playful jab from Kimiko.

"Gee thanks for the recommendation." Kimiko chuckled.

~V~

For the second time that week, Robo Chase opened his eyes to stare at the ceiling of his master's lab. His library of offensive capabilities was gone, personality data damaged, but the connection to the Heart of Jong ran strong. He sat up slowly to see his master cursing at his computer, trying to salvage any data from the water logged equipment. Jack glanced over his shoulder and smiled.

"Great, you've finished rebooting. It's going to take a few days to properly waterproof the casing, but I want to make sure that all of your joints work first; especially that left arm. Feel free to move about the lab."

"Why did you bring me back?" Robo Chase asked. "This is the sixth, no, seventh time I've been brought to this place and every time you have something to do with it. It would have been better if you left well enough alone and let me rest." He looked at his master with glowing green eyes.

"You're my friend," Jack scoffed, "real friends don't ditch each other after a showdown." Robo Chase clenched his fists.

"You have no idea what you're dealing with anymore. Though I suppose you never did." He hopped off the table and climbed up the stairs. "I'm going to go hide the Shen Gong Wu somewhere more secure than your mother's pill cabinet."

"Good idea. While you're up there, can you get me some juice?" Jack asked.

"No." Robo Chase shot back.

Ying Ying flew out of the Spicer household unnoticed by its inhabitance. She landed in her nest where Hannibal was waiting. With limited patience, Hannibal watched the events of the day play out on a magic screen. He was not happy with his companion's decision to take matters in her own hands, so to speak.

"I understand you're anxious about my condition, but aiding our enemies without tactical planning is dangerous." He coughed suddenly, sending himself into a short fit. "Still Jeong's awaking will be useful in luring Chase off course." Ying Ying pecked at his arms, trying to get a hold of the Mobi Morpher. "You're not going to lecture me today, I've got things under control. Just make sure you keep your meddling out of this." Hannibal spat. Ying Ying ruffled her feathers and turned her back to him.


	5. Three Cheers For Texas

"I'm glad Master Fung gave us the weekend off." Clay said over lunch. "I had to miss the last reunion to look after the farm, and cause of Jessie. I wish she wouldn't start a ruckus everywhere she went."

"So what exactly is this reunion for?" Omi asked.

"Well every year, hundreds of my kin folk from fifteen generations gather at this Summer Camp in Houston for the weekend." Clay said through a mouthful of sandwich. "Ya'll will love it. We have tournaments, with prizes and every year ends with a huge talent show on the basket ball courts. The Dixons had to pay a flat rate on the taco truck, so eat as many as you can."

"I'm down for tacos, but will Omi be okay?" Raimundo asked. "He's not the most carnivorous monk out there."

"Aunt Allison's vegan," Clay explained, "I'm sure she'd be happy to share her five bean chili, and there's always pancakes."

"I'd bring a little tofu just in case." Kimiko suggested. "Wait, will we have to do our next Shoku assignment on the road? He's got a list of them, I saw."

"Better safe than sorry." Raimundo sighed. "We should ask just to be sure." He got up from the table. With Kimiko close behind, he searched for his teacher only to be stopped short by the sound of a familiar voice.

"I am uncomfortable with leaving the temple unguarded for so long." Grand Master Bardon sighed. Raimundo motioned for Kimiko to remain silent.

"With due respect master, the children need time to children." Master Fung countered.

"And even children understand duty and responsibility!" Each point was emphasized as the Grand Master hit the ground with his cane. "A holiday is fine, but if everyone goes, who's left to protect the temple? Hasn't that good for nothing windbag of a leader said something about this?" He pinched his brow with an arthritic hand. "I told you when you took them in, they were your responsibility. If something happens while they're gone, it's on your head."

"Thank you master." Master Fung bowed. Bardon waved it off as he left.

"Don't listen to that old fart." Kimiko whispered. "Bitter old dudes are a dime a dozen."

"Yeah." Raimundo nodded. "If there really was a problem with leaving, Fung Miester would have said something earlier." They went up to Master Fung as if nothing was wrong to ask about their assignments. An extension was granted with a smile.

~V~

Dojo landed on a wooded mountain side. Beside him, the monks dismounted next to moss covered rocks that lined a staircase to the camp ground.

"Kimiko, I thought you were packing light?" Clay said as he hauled two suit cases.

"This is light." She said over her back pack. "You won't be laughing when it turns out you forgot something." She said to Raimundo with a huff. She took her extra suit case from Clay and began the climb of the steep steps.

"I thought I saw a flying lizard." Jessie called from the top of the stairs. She looked uncomfortable in her Sunday best, standing outside in the blistering heat.

"Jessie! What's got you all dolled up?" Clay asked.

"Pa said I had to be on my best behavior." She stepped to the side to let them reach the camp ground. "That means no cursin', and no biker clothes." She rolled her eyes. "Glad to see ya'll could make it. There aren't many cousins this year and all my friends have been banned since Sadie blew up a cabin with a swamp cooler."

"We are excited and grateful for a chance to join in the merriment!" Omi grinned. "I am sure we will win the most prizes."

"They're just little plastic trophies," Jessie shrugged, "but if you think it's worth it you'll have a tough time beating Clay." She turned to her older brother. "And guess who else arrived just before you did."

"Patty!" Clay rushed over and gave the red head a hug. "Everyone, this is my baby brother Patty."

"Patrick is fine." He gave an awkward wave under his brother's arm.

"I know Jessie was out with her gang," Raimundo said, "but where were you when we visited the ranch." Clay bit his lip and Patrick took the opportunity to leave Clay's embrace.

"I live in Odessa with my mom." He shrugged.

"Our mom." Clay corrected.

"Is that a different ranch?" Omi asked. Clay's younger siblings looked at him in horror.

"Now I know the little cue ball didn't say what I heard him say." Patty grumbled.

"Sugar, there's more to Texas then ranches and cows." Jessie said with a shake of her head.

"Why don't you guys show us around?" Kimiko suggested. "This place is huge, I wouldn't want to get lost."

"Sure thing. Our cabin's this way." Patrick jerked his thumb North. "Fair warning, no wifi or cellular service."

"Yikes, sounds like a setting for a horror film." Raimundo cringed.

"Well, it is a Summer Camp." Clay said with a shrug.

There was a wide field that split off into multiple paths. Their cabin was farthest from the mess hall, filled with bunk beds and rickety ceiling fans. From the basket ball court, dry grass rife with grasshoppers could be seen as a barrier between the sand pits for activities and the rest of the camp.

The mess hall was the only building with air conditioning. Each long table had five to ten elders with a sprinkle of younger relatives. The group eagerly greeted Daddy Bailey who pointed them in the direction of the pot luck. Nothing was labeled, but one of the adults found Cowboy Caviar (assorted beans) for the monks to munch on other than chili and hotdogs.

"Before we head to bed, we gotta' sign up for duties." Clay pointed at a sign up sheet near the kitchen entrance. "You only gotta do one thing, but everyone's gotta pitch in."

"It can't be worse than anything back at the temple." Kimiko relented.

"What's it like living there anyway?" Patrick asked.

"You sleep on the floor," Raimundo explained, "and wake up insanely early to work. After that, you get to punch and kick things for a while before some Shen Gong Wu reveals itself and mess up your entire schedule."

"And if you're a Shoku Warrior, there's additional paper work." Kimiko rolled her eyes. "But now that there's two of us, Master Fung says we can start sparing soon." She was excited to start blasting fire without the aid of a Shen Gong Wu.

"One of those dealies is the reason we're so late." Clay pulled out a bracelet decorated with pearls. "It's called the Seeds of Truth, each user can only activate it three times." Patty handled the Wu, carefully inspecting it for switches or buttons.

"Sounds exciting." He commented as he put the bracelet on.

"It is even more exciting when we are fighting evil!" Omi grinned.

"There's this little sissy boy called Jack Spicer that follows him around, causing trouble." Jessie explained. "Wears more make-up then Grandma Dixon on Christmas Day." Patty nodded, preoccupied with the Wu.

"Ugh, don't get me started on Jack." Kimiko groaned. She let her face rest on the table. "Things would be so much easier if he would just go away."

"The guy just can't take a hint." Clay agreed. "Nobody even likes him, but if I had a nickel for every time I found motor oil on a Shen Gong Wu, we'd be hosting the reunion in a Sheraton."

"Plus, those robots of his keep getting stupider and stupider." Raimundo sighed.

"How do you get the Seeds of Truth to work?" Patty asked. One of the pearls drained like a water balloon and fired a beam across the table.

"I think Jack's inventions can be quite fearsome." Omi said, and immediately slapped his hands over his mouth. He stared wide eyed at Patrick.

"Oh, that's how." Patrick murmured.

"Omi, is there something you'd like to tell us?" Raimundo snickered. The bald headed monk shook his head to decline.

"Don't worry kiddo." Dojo shrugged. "The effect will wear off in a few minutes."

"I've never noticed how quiet it gets when Omi stops talking." Raimundo mused.

"Rai quit it, it's not funny." Kimiko admonished. "Come on Omi, let's get you some of that homemade ice cream." The young monk nodded, afraid he might accidentally say something he didn't mean to.

"Alright Patty, hand that thing over, it's not a toy." Clay sighed.

~V~

At 5:30 the next morning, Clay got up bright and early to help make breakfast for his two hundred or so family members. In the past, five or six would work in the camp's industrial kitchen. That particular morning, the only other person there to share the load was Omi.

"Everything is so big and covered in silver." He marveled at the fridge that was easily six times his size. "Where is everyone else?"

"Looks like everyone else decided to sleep in." Clay frowned. "I thought for sure Patty would help us. No madder, we've got a lot of hungry folks to cook for. I'll handle the bacon and sausage, can you take care of the pancakes?" Omi saluted and hopped up to the counter. After Clay helped measure the ingredients, Omi heaved the large bowl to the basket mixer. With numbers instead of words, Omi made his best guess which setting to choose. While slow to start, the machine quickly spun out of control, flinging bits of batter everywhere.

"Food attack!" He cried and fumbled to find the off switch. Clay rushed to his side, setting the mixer to three. "Maybe the pancakes know they will be eaten?" He joked. "What is that smell?"

"Good heavens, the bacon!" No meat products were harmed that day.

Between the two of them they were able to cook ten troughs worth of food. Clay wasn't positive, but he was pretty sure they set a reunion record. Though quite messy themselves, Clay and Omi joined the others after cleaning the kitchen. They recounted their epic struggles and Omi's fascination with the equipment. At the end of breakfast, Patty went to make his leave.

"Well, it was great meeting ya'll, but I outta head out before the extended family starts jumping tables. Them old folks can smell youth a mile away." He slid his plate through the dishwasher slat.

"Hold on a second, we'll come with you." Clay said through a mouthful of eggs.

"That's okay, ya'll can chill out here n' eat your fill." Patty said. Before he could leave, a stout red headed woman scuttled over to their table.

"Angel cake!" She gave Clay a huge hug. "I haven't seen you in ages, look at how big you've gotten."

"Hi mom." Clay grinned.

"And these must be the Xiaolin Warriors I've heard so much about." She beamed at the group. "I'm sorry I couldn't meet you all properly yesterday. I was on dinner crew and that old mixer went on the fritz. Now what do we have here?" She scooped up Dojo in her hands. "Well aren't you the most fascinating critter from here to Mississippi."

"Well," Dojo puffed out his chest, "I don't imagine there are too many magical, flying dragons in the area."

"The way he talked about you, I thought you were another warrior." She lightly squeezed the back of her son's neck. "You didn't tell me he was a critter, I woulda known how to fix him up. Listen Mr. Kanojo Cho, if you ever have another reaction to those Shen Gong Whoseits just take about half a benadryl, that should smooth everything out nicely." She placed him back on the table and grabbed Patty by the collar before he could make a break for it. "Patty, these guys are interested in weird things, why don't you show 'em that thingamajig you've been working on the last few months." Patrick sighed, knowing there was no escape.

~V~

A small crowd had gathered around outside as Patrick assembled a white pipe together. A few cans of hairspray sat next to a bag of left over potatoes.

"Now this here, is a potato canon." Patrick explained. "It isn't strong enough to launch a whole potato, but we could probably manage with half of one. The hairspray acts as fuel, and when it comes in contact with an igniter..." He used a small lighter at the base of the pipe and shot a potato half across the field. "The pressure builds up and it launches the spud." Clay stared in the direction the potato launched for a while, while numerous spectators, including his friends, asked to try it out.

"Patty, why would you make this?" Clay asked. Patrick scoffed and looked at his temporary entourage.

"What not?" He said.

"Well it's a waste of food for starters." Clay's short list was cut off by Omi.

"Could I load the next projectile?" He asked excitedly.

"I could light the canon!" Kimiko grinned. "If I concentrate, I promise I won't fry off your eyebrows." Patrick gave an apprehensive nod. Two relatives excitedly volunteered to catch the potato after it had been launched.

"Can they do that?" Raimundo asked.

"Well this baby shoots at sixty miles an hour," Patty frowned, "there's no telling where it will land." He waved a signal to his familial volunteers.

"Who are they?" Omi asked as he jammed a potato half into the canon's mouth.

"No idea." Jessie shrugged, "but if they're here, they must be kin..." The group puzzled as the two quickly lost interest and began to beat on each other for fun. "Distant kin."

~V~

With the Xiaolin monks were gone, Chase was able to search the temple grounds at his leisure. The temple worked like clockwork, as it had for hundreds of years. So Chase found it mildly surprising that he was spotted in the temple's zen garden when the monks should have been meditating.

"My students thought I was being paranoid." Grand Master Bardon coughed. "Though I am surprised you have the audacity to set foot on these sacred grounds."

"Is that so old man?" Chase scoffed. "I wonder how highly your students would think of you, if they knew where those funds the temple collected actually went." He relaxed his body, slowly morphing into his draconian form. "It didn't matter how long you kept him on life support, your precious leader never saw the light of day again." His tail flicked back and forth like a cat about to pounce.

"I would have hunted you down years ago if I could." Master Bardon glowered at his foe. He was too weak to wield his mallet like he had in his youth, but there was still some fight in him left. With his cane, he tripped a silent alarm. "His orders were clear, and even though the others abandoned their duty, I shall not. You will never find the Scroll of Jong."

"You may come to regret those words Dragon of Wood." Chase lunged. Bardon's movements were slow, but his ability to manipulate his element remained intact. Roots rose up from beneath the sand and tangled around Chase's body.

"If only I could strangle you in front of your friends like you did to my leader." Master Bardon spat. "Though, I suppose no one in their right mind would ally themselves with you."

"You would be correct on that account," Chase gasped as a thick root coiled around his neck, "but that doesn't mean I am alone." Grand Master Bardon didn't have a chance to turn around before Wuya struck.

~V~

Now washers, as Omi came to discover, were metal rings that were put around screws. For the family reunion, they were painted one of four different colors and used in a game. The monks sat on benches that lined the sand pit as Clay explained the rules before they teamed up.

"This is easier than horse shoes. All you gotta do is get your washers into one of those three holes from this line. Younger kids can use the mid line."

"I call Clay!" Raimundo shouted.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Omi frowned. "I wanted to partner with Raimundo."

"You got to partner with Rai to plan Kimiko's promotion." Clay reminded. "So I get to partner with Rai for the tournament."

"You can be my partner Omi, we'll show those guys a thing or too." Kimiko grinned.

"Seems ya'll are in good hands," Patrick stated, "so I'll go ahead and leave you too it."

"You're not participating Patty?" Clay asked.

"I've got better things to do than throw things in the dirt." Patrick shrugged and wandered off.

"Don't take it so hard Clay," Jessie said as she patted him on the back, "he's just going through a faze I guess." Clay nodded still watching his brother wander off through the camp ground alone.

"Now, prepare for a most humiliating defeat!" Omi cheered. He took his three washers and stood where directed. The holes were easily three yards away. He hesitated, looked at his teammate who snapped a picture on her phone and then to Clay. With a sheepish grin he asked. "May I use the children's line please."

~V~

One thing was for certain, the family reunion wasn't what Clay remembered it to be. Without the usual spread of ages, they spent most of the second day hanging out like usual. Though Omi and Kimiko had managed to swing first place in the washers tournament. The old folks tried to stay inside the mess hall at all times if they weren't sleeping. Which meant they couldn't have access to the kitchen unless they were willing to run into Granny Lily. With a limited number of adults on hand, the annual talent show had been canceled.

"I wish ya'll could have seen it." Clay sighed. "Sure it wasn't the fanciest of productions, but it was still a lot of fun. The three of us would always sit together n' watch." Jessie suddenly stood up.

"If they're not going to put it on, then we can." She decided. "The basketball courts are lit up at night, we can do it before you have to go. It'll be fun."

"Jessie, are you feeling alright?" Clay asked.

"I'm fine ya worry wart." Jessie huffed. "I know, we can have them do the tooth brush skit." She grinned predatorily. "So who wants to be the punch line?" Omi was about to raise his hand proudly when Clay made him put his hand down.

"It's kind of gross." Clay warned.

"Then why don't we get your brother to do it." Kimiko asked. "He should be here before you leave. Dojo, what Wu did we bring with us?"

"Alright, alright hold your horses." Dojo sighed. He reached into his ear and pulled out a small bag. "Let's see, we've got the Ants in the Pants, Crystal Glasses, Seeds of Truth, Fist of Tebigong, Sword of the Storm, and the Golden Tiger Claws. I figured it would make the flight back home shorter." They enlarged the glasses and used them to hunt down Patrick. He was working on a different gadget when they found him.

"You've had your fun avoiding us all day," Jessie snorted, "I think you owe everyone a little entertainment because of it." Patrick sighed and set down his tools.

"So what is it; horse shoes, bridge?" He asked.

"Not quite." Jessie grinned.

~V~

They stood on the basket ball court, four in a line. Clay held in his hands a plastic baggie and a paper cup.

"This toothpaste recipe has been in the Bailey family for generations." Clay began. "Now, we were missing a few ingredients, so we'll need to you to test it."

"Uh, I forgot my tooth brush at home." Raimundo explained. Kimiko reached into her backpack and pulled out a second toothbrush.

"I got you covered." Kimiko grinned.

"Thanks." Raimundo snatched the toothbrush from her. Clay handed Kimiko the baggie and cup.

"All I have to do is use it like any other toothpaste right?" Kimiko asked. She received a nod from the Baileys in return. "Okay then." She used the toothpaste and spat in the cup. "Man that was nasty!" She passed the cup and baggie along to Raimundo who did the same.

"Alright, I ate baking soda once as a kid, and it tasted almost exactly like that." Raimundo shuddered and passed the supplies.

"I am sure you are exaggerating." Omi tried the toothpaste. "Clay, I thought you disliked pulling pranks!" He spat into the cup.

"It's not a prank hombre, it's just part of the skit." Clay called from the bleachers. Omi passed the cup to Patrick, who with a deep, sigh drank the contents of the cup.

"Man that was refreshing!" He coughed. "So what was the test?"

"Eww." Kimiko wrinkled her nose while the boys laughed. "You guys do this every year?" She asked.

"Since before the day I was born." Clay chuckled. "We also used to try to guess each other's partner seeing only their knees or their noses. And one year Uncle Otis tried to rap, it was awful, but at least he was trying to make us laugh. Next year, I can see if he could try and do it for ya'll."

"There's not going to be a next year." Patrick said with crossed arms.

"Patty!" Jessie shouted.

"It's true." Patrick sighed. "I overheard the adults talking while I was writing. Not enough folks have been coming out to pay for the summer camp and food, so they aren't going to bother anymore."

"Well then, we better make the most of it." Raimundo decided. "What other dumb things did your relatives used to do?" The monks collaborated to try and recreate the grand talent show. Raimundo and Omi didn't do too bad rapping, though Omi's messed up slang nearly threw them off rhythm. By the end of the night, everyone was beat and it was time to go home. Clay pulled Patrick into a tight hug.

"See you this Christmas." Patrick sighed.

"I'm sure I can make it back sooner than that." Clay disagreed. "I wish we could see each other more often."The other monks took care of packing while Clay went off to say goodbye to the rest of his family. As they packed up to leave, Omi laid on the grass, his gaze trained on the sky.

"There are so many more stars out here then back at the temple." Omi remarked. Raimundo glanced up as he loaded the bags.

"Yeah, I guess there are."

"Clay's family..." Omi wasn't quite sure where to begin. "We won't end up like them, will we? I do not want to be separated from any of you." Kimiko and Raimundo looked at each other, concerned.

"Well, that's-" Raimundo attempted, "I mean we'll always be teammates."

"Yeah," Kimiko agreed, "thousands of years from now people will be talking about us, and how we defeated evil over and over again. You can't tell a story about one of us without the other three. So in that way, we'll always be together."

"Yes, I suppose that is true." Omi agreed with a small smile. When Clay returned, they all climbed aboard Dojo to leave. A small collection of Clay's closest family was there to see them off, including Granny Lily.

"Well, we sure are in a hurry." Clay squeaked. "Sorry we couldn't stay any longer, but the temple needs us."

"Thank you for having us!" Kimiko called back. "It was nice meeting you!" Raimundo hopped forward on Dojo. Combining the Sword of the Storm with the Golden Tiger Claws produced a hole in the sky big enough for all of them to fit through.

"Now, I've never tried this before kids," Dojo confessed, "so hold on tight!"

~V~

They arrived at the temple in one piece. Albeit a tad frazzled, but otherwise no worse for wears. The temple, on the other hand, was in an unusual state of chaos. An ambulance sat, parked outside of the temple entrance. With older monks answering the questions of local police officers. The monks quickly dismounted and ran toward the temple.

"Master Fung!" Omi cried out.

"I am right here young monk." Master Fung said tiredly. He sat on the steps, feeling much older than he looked.

"Master Fung, what happened?" Raimundo asked. The older monk let Dojo slither up his arm to rest on his shoulder.

"While you were gone, Chase Young struck the temple." He gave Dojo's head a stroke for reassurance. "My Master's in critical condition from trying to defend the temple on his own. When we arrived, he had already taken what he came for."

"Is he alright?" Kimiko asked. Master Fung remained silent for a long time.

"They do not know." He picked up the staff that lay next to him. "In the mean time, my fellow monks want me to take care of the temple. We should know in a few days how bad his condition is. Until then, you may not leave the temple unless it is for the Shen Gong Wu or supplies. We have purchased a cellular device for the temple, I suggest you all add the number to your own."

"Master Fung, I'm so sorry," Raimundo began, "I should have known." Master Fung stood.

"It is alright, none of us thought Chase would strike the temple so soon. What is important is that you all are safe."

"What did Chase take from the temple?" Clay asked. "Are we about to face another 1,000 years of darkness?

"No young monks." Master Fung shook his head."It was an ancient treasure that contained all of the knowledge gathered by the first Xiaolin Dragons. You must excuse me, it seems the chief of police has more questions for me." The monks watched, heartbroken, as Master Fung dealt with the aftermath of Chase's attack.

"It's awfully late." Clay whispered. "We should probably hit the hay and stay out of their hair." They nodded morosely and filed into the temple past the police tape and tired monks.

**AN: Alrighty, so all of the little anecdotes about the reunion happened in real life. I've watched my relatives fire potatoes at each other, drink each others spit, and me and my great uncle cooked for over 200 people at 5:30 in the morning. I hoped you enjoyed this and as always; thank you for reading and reviewing. **


	6. Martine and a Show

It only took two days for another Wu to reveal itself. The Xiaolin gang high-tailed their way over to India in search for the newly revealed Shen Gong Wu.

"Rumor has it, that the Light of Ruj can reverse the luck of its user." Dojo quoted as they flew over the desert.

"That sounds like something we could've used a few times." Raimundo sighed.

"Woah there partner," Clay objected, "we don't need luck to win. Something like that could only mean trouble."

"Clay's right," Dojo sighed, "the Wu is really unpredictable, like the Ying-Yang Yoyo. If you normally have good luck and are just having a bad day, you'd never have a good day after. Well, unless you used it again, but you get my point."

"Well we aren't getting it for us," Kimiko excused, "we're just keeping it out of the hands of evil. Evil doesn't need a good day any day of the week."

"We're here!" Dojo said in sing-song. "Thank you for flying the Dojo express, please take all Wu and accessories with you as you dismount." They gladly obliged, Kimiko paying special attention to how many bangles she had on. After all, what was the point of wearing belly-dancer garb if you couldn't jingle while you walked? "My rash won't stop burning, we have to be close." The monks casually walked into a Mandira, a temple in India, paying close attention to every detail. The open aired halls were framed by carefully sculpted archways. At the farthest end of the hallway, a balcony over looked the rustic ceremonial room.

"Stop right there Xiaolin losers, the Wu is mine!" A voice shouted from behind them.

"I thought I smelled at rat." Clay cringed. The group turned to see Jack Spicer, hovering above them with his helipack. The red-headed boy smirked and folded his arms. Omi pointed his finger at the pale boy, his other fist shaking for effect.

"Jack Spicer, prepare yourself for a most humiliating defeat!" Omi declared, gathering his strength from his friends.

"Hold it Omi." Raimundo countered. "Let me take care of it." He didn't want Omi to get hurt. Granted, Omi had always been competent in defeating Jack in the past, but he things were different now. There was always a chance that something could go wrong; if that happened he would feel responsible.

He chased after Jack around the brightly lit hall, throwing punches and kicks. Yet Jack somehow was always a step ahead of him. Jackbots swarmed in from all sides and the three remaining warriors readied themselves for an onslaught, but Clay noticed something was off. Jack had breezed by several artifacts, and not a single one so much as twitched until Rai passed them. It had to be one of Jack's holograms.

"That dirty snake," Clay muttered, "it's a distraction!" He turned to see the real Jack closing in on the Wu. Clay ran as fast as he could, and managed to reach the Wu in time. "Jack, I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown. My Lasso Boa Boa against your Glove of Jisaku."

"Fine." Jack huffed. He really thought his Holo-Jack had improved. "A race, first one to reach the Wu wins. Let's go, XIAOLIN SHOWDOWN!"

In a golden glow, the small silver scepter floated up and cloaked the world in a dark red. The ground around them shook, as chucks of earth floated up to the sky. Jack and Clay stood on individual platforms, high above them the Shen Gong Wu was suspended. Glaring at each other, the pair shouted.

"GONG YI TANPAI!" As soon as the words left their mouth, the platforms began to sink. The other platforms rushed up above them and ventured for the top. With a huge leap, Clay launched himself toward one of the rising structures. Jack tried to do the same, only to find himself hanging from edge. It began to sink, as did Clay's, and the two had to quickly find a new perch. Once again, Jack threw himself at the rising platforms, he hit the hard ground with a thud. Clay on the other hand, jumped from platform to platform with ease.

"If you're having this much trouble, maybe you could save us all time a scuttle on outta' here like an Anomura Paguroidea." Clay smirked. The group responded with a resounding silence. "Err, Hermit Crab." Clay elaborated with a blush.

"What am I doing?" Jack mentally slapped himself and turned on his helipack. The rapidly spinning blades allowed him to bypass the tedious jumping. However, Clay quickly caught on.

"Lasso Boa Boa!" He declared. The snake like rope looped around one of the metal stalks and constricted. Clay effortlessly tugged the rope and pulled Jack down. With the extra lead, Clay grabbed the Shen Gong Wu and ended the showdown.

As quickly as it had come, the area receded back into the ground. Jack was left in miserable heap, nursing his dented machinery. With his new Wu in hand, Clay strode proudly toward the group.

"I'd say that wrapped up quicker than a burrito on Cinco De Mayo." Clay chuckled.

As they walked back to the main temple, Raimundo sighed. "I'm sorry guys," Raimundo said in reference to his behavior on the Wu hunt, "I should have paid more attention." He was quickly joined by Omi.

"Don't worry Raimundo, we all make mistakes," Omi grinned, "though some make more mistakes than others."

"Omi." Kimiko warned.

"What? It's true!" Omi yelped.

"Come on ya'll, we won the showdown, it's no big deal." Clay shrugged.

"At times like this, Master Fung would say, a chipped glass holds more water than a new plate; or something like that." Dojo reminisced. The temple had been quiet since Grand Master Bardon was carted off to the hospital. Though he was still alive, the hospital was reluctant to let him return to them. The whole thing had put Raimundo on edge. He was the one who suggested they leave for the reunion, even when the Grand Master had expressed his displeasure with the idea. The Wu hunts weren't providing a very big distraction either.

"Are you trying to pull Raimundo out of his dump too?" Omi asked.

"I hope you mean 'out of _the _dumps'." Raimundo cringed.

"Well if it's any consolation," Dojo said, "it looks like the mail arrived while you were gone." The children clamored for the mail bag. Kimiko was the first to emerge from the pile.

"Finally, Goo Zombies X is finally here!" She cheered.

"We definitely have to try it out tonight." Raimundo agreed. "After our assignment of course."

"Are there no letters for me?" Omi asked, peering into the empty bag.

"It's okay lil' buddy, I didn't get anything this week either." Clay consoled.

"Hey, I just got a letter from my sister Martine! She heard I got promoted to Shoku Warrior and is coming by to visit." Rai smiled, news of that a member of his family was coming to the temple lifted his spirits a little.

"What's she like?" Kimiko asked.

"We used to play soccer all the time when we were little." He added as an afterthought. "And she's really loud."

"I wouldn't mind testing her skills on the field." Omi mused. "A loud voice is no match for my cheetah strike." He attacked the air. A large palm rested on his head.

"Woah there, save some of that energy for the dishes." Clay chuckled.

"Quite right, we shall scrub away grim with the speed of a cheetah and then play ball!" They started to move to the kitchen, but Omi quickly pushed Rai out. "A leader has no place in the kitchen. Surely you have many important duties of your own." He could tell Raimundo was having a hard time, getting to goof off always seemed to cheer him up in the past.

"Yeah," Raimundo faltered then gestured to the group, "but I can't let you guys do all the chores by yourselves."

"It's no trouble at all partner," Clay assured, "we've handled tougher jobs before."

"It's okay Rai, really." Kimiko agreed.

"But I don't-" Raimundo began. Omi gave him a gentle push.

"No time for Chit-Chat," Omi interrupted, "we have but to cover things." He hurried inside with the others leaving Raimundo out in the dining hall.

"You've got this covered." He corrected in the empty hall.

~v~

Dawn had just fallen on the temple garden, yet the monks had already resumed training. Clay and Omi sparred on the lawn, while Kimiko and Rai practiced with the equipment. Raimundo knew they we're just being nice, but when his fellow monks took over his chores he felt a little left out. It was silly for him to get hung up over chores. He just didn't see why that meant he had to be treated differently from the other monks.

As they practiced, a girl walked into the yard. She scanned the training grounds, artificially plump lips pinched between her teeth until she spotted a familiar face.

"Raimundo!" She sprinted over to where he was sparing with a spiked training dummy. She hugged him from behind, her exuberance thickened her accent. "É tão bom ver você!" The monks gathered to the commotion. "And these must be your friends! You have to show me that training room you were talking about, and the giant tea pot! Oh and if you aren't too-" Raimundo turned and looked at the girl top to bottom, his face slowly scrunched up with displeasure.

"Who... Martine?" He asked. Her bright smile fell a bit.

"Raimundo, you wound me." She scoffed. "You don't look too happy to see me, I made sure to write ahead and junk." However, when he didn't move, she further prompted. "Did training to be Karate Kid come with a concussion?" He looked her over again. Synthetically curled hair combined with heavy make-up gave off the impression of a samba-school dancer. It was hard to believe it was her. But before he had left for the Xiaolin temple, Martine had made countless Karate Kid jokes.

"Sorry, things have been a little hectic lately, I hardly recognized you." He frowned. "Listen, I gotta go use the bathroom, or something. I'll be back in a bit."

"Raimundo." She said sadly. She turned to the other monks with a sheepish grin. "It's so early; he must be tired from the training." Her gaze glossed over the monks faces; none of them seemed too happy.

"There's something I've been meaning to ask." Clay began. "How did you find out Raimundo was promoted?"

"I got a mass e-mail address to his friends and family!" She pulled out her phone and flipped to her inbox. "It's how I found out about his promotion." The LED screen showed a small form letter with animated confetti announcing Raimundo had made it to the level of Shoku Warrior. Once everyone had a good look, she put the device back in her pocket. "But now's probably a bad time, I could come back later I guess."

"But you have come so far, have you not?" Omi objected. "I'm sure Raimundo appreciates the company."

"We could give you a tour of the temple while you wait." Kimiko agreed.

"Obrigado, that would be great; Kimiko right?" She followed the monks to the temple entrance.

"I have to ask you to leave all jewelry and shoes at the door." Kimiko explained. "We've had problems with people bringing in weapons in the past."

"Scary." She placed her large hoop earrings in a small basket with her shoes. "Is this place near a bad part of town or something?" Omi shook his head

"Evil lurks behind every corner," he warned, "a true Xiaolin Warrior must always be on their hind quarters; ready for battle."

Martine nodded, not sure what to say. The temple was reminiscent of an old tea house; the way the wooden chimes clacked together in the wind was quite calming. It took a while, but soon she became more comfortable around the monks. "It's great to finally meet the famous Xiaolin monks, Raimundo's told me so much about you."

"Really? What did he say? What did he tell you about me?" Omi exclaimed.

"Just that the temple's resident monk is a hyperactive ball of kung fu fury." Martine chuckled, and took care to leave out all the jabs he had made about Omi's head and slang. "Granted I could be wrong, my information's a little dated. Are the rest of you still Xiaolin Apprentices?"

"Afraid not little lady." Clay said, his suspicion since pacified.

"Oh no, I am a most fearsome Wudai Warrior." Omi posed for added effect.

"I just got promoted to Shoku warrior myself." Kimiko agreed. She noticed Martine had run out of conversation pieces. "Come on, we'll show you the Meditation Chambers."

~v~

Jack dug through rows of boxes in the family's garage. The previous battles had taken a lot out of his robot resources. He dragged out a particularly old box, and in the process, stirred up a cloud of dust. Coughing, he waved his hands to clear the air.

"Man, there's nothing but junk in here." He pulled out a hideously loud set of flat wear and some records, nose wrinkled in disgust. "What does it take for an evil boy genius to find decent scraps?"

"What was that Jackie?" His mother asked from the kitchen.

"Nothing mom!" Jack called back. It was sad, he could pull together an evil army to fight over Shen Gong Wu, but couldn't get a single person to help him clean out the garage.

"Oh, well there's lemonade in the fridge when you're done cleaning up and don't forget, I have dinner with the Festertons and won't be back until late tonight." As he dug through the dented cardboard, his eyes lit up.

"Hey, can I have your old college stuff?" Jack asked as he stared at the box's contents.

"I suppose… But what on Earth would you use it for?"

"Oh nothing." As Jack cackled evilly, the whole garage seemed to grow darker.

"I thought I told you to stop doing that in the house!" His mother scolded.

~v~

The tour came to an end at tea room, along with a few strands of laughter. Raimundo sat combing through a handful of old scrolls while Dojo writhed on the polished floor in an allergic fit.

"You've seen the temple then?" Raimundo asked, pretending to be engrossed in the ancient text.

"Yeah, just throw in Mr. Miagi and it would be perfect. Though I was hoping you would have joined us. We have some serious catching up to do."

"Maybe later, Dojo's been sneezing like crazy, that means there will be another Wu hunt soon."

"Why are you avoiding me?" Martine asked.

"I'm not avoiding you." Raimundo muttered.

"Then what is the problem? I thought you'd be psyched." She gestured at the air, frustrated with his stand offish attitude.

"Look I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that." Raimundo stuffed the scrolls back in his bag. "We can play soccer or something when we get back."

"Sorry to interrupt," Dojo wheezed, "but we got a red hot Wu alert."

"Alright, let's go." Raimundo brushed past his old friend without a second glance.

"But what about your sister?" Omi asked. "We can't just leave her here." Raimundo turned.

"I don't see why not, just try to stay out of trouble. Mom'll kill me if you get hurt."

"I am older then you, you know." She quipped. "Maybe you could show me how a 'Wu hunt' works."

"Enough banter, let's go!" Dojo sneezed. "I don't know how much abuse my sinuses can take."

"So what exactly are we looking for again Dojo?" Kimiko asked.

"The Fangzhi Pin," Dojo wheezed, "it allows you to disguise your voice to sound like anyone else in the world. Very handy when you're hiding from door-to-door sales men." Immediately Raimundo thought of using the new Wu to crank-call Jack, though the idea might not go over so well right now. Especially with how this week had been going.

Dojo sneezed in quick succession, jerking the group of five this way and that. It was hard to notice you were near your destination while screaming in mortal terror. Landing roughly, Dojo quickly shrank. "Were close- I- I can feel- feel it." Dojo could barely get a word out between sneezes. "JUST FIND IT ALREADY."

"Where are we?" Martine asked.

"According to Google maps, Seattle." Kimiko said, pocketing her phone. "Be careful, this place collects a lot of eccentric artists."

"I see," Omi said excitedly, "look! There's one now!" He eagerly gestured to a man in shabby clothes digging through a planter, randomly uprooting plants. He looked up with wild eyes and gave a filthy grin.

"That's not an artist Omi." Raimundo said, guiding the young monk further down the street. "Let's keep looking over there."

"Way over there." Kimiko agreed. They continued to scour, looking in shops and regularly checking high areas.

"Is there any other hint you could give us?" Clay asked.

"The place- developed a lot i-in 1500 years." Dojo sneezed. "But we're really close."

"Closer then you think." Omi agreed. "It is right below our feet." He stepped aside and pointed to the ground. Sure enough, the ivory pin had been cemented into the ground with common cobble stone. The only thing that made it stand out was the dark jade sea monster that decorated it.

"Well that was easy," Kimiko sighed, "but how do we get it back out?" The group thought a moment.

"I know!" Raimundo declared. "Every time there's a showdown, the Wu ends up floating, right? If we can start a showdown, maybe the pin will pull itself out."

"Don't you need an opponent for that?" Martine asked.

"Quite right you are! Tremble in fear, for it is I, Jack Spicer!" Jack cackled as he floated down from the sky, an army of bedazzled Jack-bots at his back. "I have to thank you losers for finding the Wu for me, saved me a fortune on gas."

"You're late." Omi observed.

"Can it cheddar head." Jack huffed. "Some of us have a life outside of Wu you know."

"Exactly what is the purpose of all those sparkly things?" Clay frowned. Jack pinched his lips in frustration.

"I had to keep things thematic." Jack dismissed. "Behold, my crowning achievement for the day, the Discotron!" From around the corner, a fully metallic humanoid form clunked over. It was decked out in a loud yellow and orange bellbottom jump-suit. With eyes that were styled to look like retro sunglasses, it posed sassily.

"A disco theme? How tacky can you get?" Kimiko groaned.

"Put that thing back in the ground," Raimundo agreed, "disco is dead for a reason."

"Enough banter; Jack-bots, ATTACK!" The entourage swarmed in at the monks. Omi ducked, this time determined to participate in a showdown. The other three monks fought them off easily; Martine wasn't so lucky, a Jack-bot easily scooped her up. Jack dived down for the Wu as well.

"Put me down!" Martine kicked the Jack-bot in the face, her heal dislodged head's circuitry; she fell. Omi, Jack and Martine reached the Wu at the same time. Immediately the pin started to glow.

"Jack Spicer, I challenge you to a Shen Yi Bu Dare." Omi glared. "Our Orb of Tornami and Shroud of Shadows against your Black Beetle and Mantis Flip Coin."

"I'll right, my Discotron will back me up. The challenge is-"

"DANCING!" Martine blurted. The two boys gave her an incredulous look. "Ah, Dance… Battle?" She said, grinning sheepishly.

"Alright, I'm game." Jack shrugged. "Have fun trying to work with a midget."

"I have to say, I am most confused." Omi said with his hands in his sleeves. "From what Raimundo told us, I thought soccer was your activity of choice."

"No, I'm horrible at football," Martine shook her head, "the only reason I ever played was because that was what my brother wanted to do." She looked directly at Rai, but was distracted when Jack interrupted.

"If you don't mind we have a showdown to organize." Jack sneered. "If this is a Dance Battle, then you have to be dancing the whole time. You got that short stack? No kung fu." He crossed his arms to illustrate. "First one to stop dancing looses."

"Fine." Omi stated. "The let's go XIAOLIN SHOWDOWN!" The floor beneath them began to sink, leaving the pin glowing above the contestants. Jack's clothes changed to a silvery leisure suit with wide lapels, while his robot stayed the same. Omi found himself in a black and blue suit much like his old robes which coordinated with Martine's samba dress. The whole world shook as spikes jutted out from the walls and whirled around them.

"They're going to fight in a giant blender." Clay whistled.

"Guys!" Raimundo shouted. "Be careful!" Omi gave a reassuring thumbs up.

"They'll be fine Rai." Kimiko gave his shoulder a squeeze. "Omi's fought in tougher stuff than this."

"The Shen Gong Wu I chose was geared toward sports. How will we defeat Jack Spicer without using martial arts?" Omi asked.

"I'm sure," Martine said, eyeing the deadly walls, "that we'll figure something out." The four stared off and shouted.

"GONG YI TANPI!" The music started and immediately Omi began bouncing. Martine kept beat with a basic samba step and asked.

"Have you ever danced before?"

"I thought that was what I was doing?" Omi replied.

"Nice try cue ball, but it takes more than a few jumps to stay in the game." Jack cackled.

"He's right," Martine sighed, "here let me show you what I've learned." She took his hands. "Just follow along with me. Samba De Janeiro is the Mozart of dance, lots of little steps." She showed him how to shift his feet back and forth, with a little bounce they were able to advance to more complicated steps. Luckily, Omi was a fast learner. He picked up on how to stay in rhythm, though at times his movements were too ridged and precise. "And then swing you leg out like that, yes! Yes! You got it!" As the music increased in tempo, they slipped into a more ballroom style form of Samba.

"What a snooze fest." Jack chuckled as he did his best to mimic John Travolta.

"Is that the Lawn Mower?" Clay murmured. Their leader held his head and groaned.

"This is painful to watch for all the wrong reasons."

"Hey, do you think we can get cell receptions in Showdowns?" Kimiko chuckled. "Keiko has to see this!"

"Now he's doing the wave." Clay was dumbfounded.

"Where are the Sands Of Time? We need to throw those moves back into the 70s" Rai heckled. The groups laughter did not sit well with the Discotron, who thought it's moves were blazin'. As the two started to do the sprinkler, it opened a hatch within its elbow and shot the opposing team. Omi and Martine dropped to the ground, though they continued to bounce. Martine shimmied back up, only to be kicked in the face by Jack's 'break dancing', though it looked more like kicking at the air. Omi swung his legs under Jack and was brought up by Martine to make it look like a simple spin.

The Discotron caught Jack and dipped him slow dance style. No one was gonna' diss a copasetic dancer like them, even if it meant getting the other team seriously hurt. The walls edged the arena inward by a foot, making the dance space smaller. Winding up Jack like a top, the Discotron sent him spinning straight for the other pair.

"Omi, look out!" Kimiko cried. Martine pulled him out of the way as the robot kicked Jack aside in order to do the Hustle.

"I have an idea," Omi whispered as they continued in step, "I'll run around you, and when I say go, stand and try to pull me up." She nodded, and was pulled around at an incredible speed. "GO!" She stood and pulled him up into the spin. With one hand still gripping hers, he reached for his Shen Gong Wu. "ORB OF TORNOMI, WATER!" The force of the blast sent the robot tumbling back into Jack. Omi landed on the ground and stomped his foot to the beat. "ICE." The small crowd cheered. With the duo frozen, unable to continue the dance battle. The frozen robot toppled backwards onto Jack who held up his hand to block the impact.

"Let's finish strong!" Martine beamed. She squatted, allowing Omi to back flip onto her shoulders. The two posed valiantly and the showdown came to a close.

From afar, Hannibal Bean watched the end of the showdown on replay over and over again with Ying Ying's magic. The other monks hadn't noticed, but there was no doubt the evil boy genius had dented his own creation trying to protect himself.

"This can't be!" Hannibal hissed as he watched the metal doll's form crumple slightly to avoid harming the red head underneath. "There can't be another dragon of metal while I'm-" He was sent into another coughing fit. His feathered friend squawked with concern. "This is just a fluke. Those toys of his are tin cans anyway. Still, it's best we keep an eye on him. The last thing we need is the others realizing Jack could have potential before we drain it out of him."

~v~

Martine sat down at the base of the largest tree in the Xiaolin Temple, her head rested against the rough bark as she spoke.

"I'm going to be leaving soon."

"I know." Raimundo muttered from the branches above. "…You didn't do too bad for your first showdown."

"I'm glad that my dancing at least got you talking again, even if you hate it." Martine sighed.

"I never said I hated it." Raimundo objected. "It's just; we used to be so close. It wasn't too long ago that we were pranking people around the circus grounds and planning to write letters everyday once I left. Whatever happened to that?"

"We grew up, got new lives." Martine lamented. "Not all change is bad, _you_ changed too you know."

"Well who says we had to?" Raimundo kicked the tree which caused a few leaves to fall.

"This isn't just about me, is it?" Martine guessed. She looked up to see Raimundo swing his feet over the overhanging branch.

"I really wanted to get to be Shoku Warrior," Raimundo explained, "I was behind everyone else so long, I thought I had to prove-" He trailed off. "Now I'm here, and they've started to treat me differently again. I haven't exactly been a stellar leader either. People are starting to get hurt because of my decisions." He folded his arms up over his knees and buried his head in his arms. "Maybe I wasn't cut out to be leader after all."

"Woah, hold up." Martine crossed her arms. "Who said anything about quitting? Your teacher made you Shoku Warrior first for a reason. Even if you can't see it yourself, your new friends know it too. And if these guys are as great as you made them out to be, I'm sure they'll understand if you tell them how you feel." Raimundo bit his lower lip, still not entirely convinced of the idea. "You really have changed if you're over thinking this much, but I guess you can't help it… I'm sure you make an amazing leader, after all, you are _Raimundo the Great_." Nobody had called him that in years. It was probably the most sarcastic stage name you could give the circus equivalent of a stable boy, but coming from her it was more nostalgic then mean. A silence fell over them for a while and the afternoon breeze chilled their skin. "I still have enough time to play a game of soccer before I go, if you're interested in taking me on, that is?" The suggestion barely had time to hang in the air before Raimundo jumped down from the tree.

"I'll go get the others."

**AN: This was originally intended to be the first episode/chapter of the story. However, after reviewing it, I felt that introducing an OC, even as a one-shot character, was a little risky. Especially since she was originally supposed to be his childhood friend. I wanted to show Raimundo's feelings about change and his fear on how his relationships with the others would change. It evolved into so much more once the Grand Master started to become a part of the story. For the dance showdown, I envisioned them dancing to The Walker by Fitz and the Tantrums. As always thank you for reading and reviewing. The next chapter should be up in about 2 weeks. With nursing school in full swing, I fear my writing has to take the back burner for now.**


	7. Oh Me, Oh My

Omi woke in a cold sweat. It was still night out, he doubted anyone was awake. He crept, pillow in hand, to the bathroom where he could leave the light on without disturbing his fellow monks. They were just nightmares. He tried to convince himself that they couldn't harm him. He was strong, he had proven he could still beat Jack with one hand. So he shouldn't keep worrying about those stupid dreams. They weren't real. At least, they weren't real here.

When Master Fung found him in the bathroom the next morning, he returned the monk to his bed without waking him.

~v~

Kimiko and Raimundo stood on the training field as the other monks polished the hallway floor. They bowed to Master Fung who felt as if he aged a few years.

"I apologize, it seems the temple's affairs have delayed your Shoku training." Master Fung explained. "Now that the hospital has allowed Grand Master Bardon to return to the temple, we can start with the basics."

"We understand." Kimiko sympathized.

"Is he going to be alright?" Raimundo asked. Their teacher contemplated what to tell them.

"I do not suspect he will be able to venture far from his room anymore." Master Fung relented. "Now, face your opponent and try to strike them with your element." Raimundo vividly remembered the tornado he accidently created when he tried to use his element the last time. It seemed Kimiko had a similar idea, because when they went to attack each other, Rai's weak breeze snuffed out her candle sized flame. "I appreciate that you want to exercise control, but that is not what I instructed you to do."

"If I make that tornado thing again, I could kill her!" Raimundo objected. "And mess up the garden."

"Yeah, if someone gets hit by a fire blast they could be really hurt, or disfigured." Kimiko grimaced.

"Your concerns shows you have grown as warriors." Master Fung agreed. "However, you are both accomplished fighters. You must have faith that your opponent will be able to avoid harm. As for the garden," the Orb of Tornomi and the Sword of the Storms sat at his feet, "I have come prepared. Now, try again." They nodded and turned to each other.

"Shoku Mars, Fire!" Kimiko shouted. A torrent of flames shot forward, scorching the surrounding ground. Raimundo leaped into the air.

"Shoku Astro, Wind!" He pointed the blast at the ground to launch himself further into the air. This technique fed her attack and kicked the flames back to her. "Kimiko!" He shouted. He should have paid more attention. He landed on the ground with an unceremonious thump as Master Fung showered the field with the Orb of Tornomi.

"A marked improvement." Master Fung observed. "If you continue to practice, I may be able to show you how to incorporate your element into the fearsome Dragon Strike."

"That was exciting!" Kimiko grinned, her heart hammered in her chest. "How's your butt?"

"I could deal without the smart talk." Raimundo grumbled.

"Something smells like barbecue." Dojo commented as he slithered on the wet field. He was wrapped up in an ugly Christmas sweater.

"Really Dojo, it's September, we haven't even had Halloween yet." Kimiko complained.

"Seriously, it's hurting my eyes!" Raimundo gagged.

"After I took my time to tell you about a new Wu, you decide to become the fashion police." Dojo crossed his arms. "It's not like I enjoy this thing's blinking lights, the new Wu's just giving me the chills."

"We're sorry Dojo," Kimiko sighed, "what's the Wu?"

"It's called the Yanghu Flask." Dojo explained. "On its own it's useless, but combined with water it can heal pretty much anything. So we gotta go, like, now."

"On it." Raimundo reported. "Sorry we have to cut lesson's today short, but we gotta go."

~v~

"Watch your step kids." Dojo said as he landed. "This isn't the friendliest part of Mexico. I don't know who thought it would be a good idea to bury mines all over the place, but there you have it."

"This is a lot of risk for one Wu." Clay whistled.

"Of course!" Omi said, landing softly on the ground. "The Yanghu Flask can heal any injury, provided it happened within the last twenty-four hours. It was made by the legendary Dragon of Water, Lao Mei." He held up an orb trapped within a bundle of twisted metal. "Shard of Lightning!"

"Wait-" Raimundo began to shout. Omi's world slowed to a halt. He carefully walked around the raised areas of the packed dirt. If any mines were to go off, he would get out of the way in plenty of time. As he reached the flask, the magic wore off. "Omi, you shouldn't walk..."

"And he's already over there." Kimiko sighed.

"It's okay, I found the Wu!" Omi cheered. "It does not look as splendid as it has been described." He frowned at the asymmetric flask with clumsily painted flowers.

"That is because it was made by a child." Chase said as he landed behind Omi. "Very few dragons in training possess such abilities. Some, do have the potential." He said, looking directly at Omi. Omi and Chase grabbed the Wu at the same time.

"Omi, challenge him to a tag team!" Raimundo shouted.

"I can handle Chase Young on my own." Omi challenged.

"Omi!"

"Such formalities are only necessary due to our battle ground." Chase explained. "I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown. First to solve the Gregordian Knot wins."

"My Shard of Lightning against your Wings of Tanabi." Omi agreed.

"Let's go, Xiaolin Showdown!" The Yanghu flask levitated in the air, from within, a rope shot out and coiled around the Shen Gong Wu at an alarming speed. By the end, the knot was easily the size of a house and the arena defied gravity.

"Gong Yi Tanpai!" They shouted. Immediately Omi used the Shard of Lightning to freeze time. He found the loose end of the rope and began to pull it back the way it came. Before long, the Shen Gong Wu's magic wore off. Chase remained on the sidelines.

"I don't get it," Clay murmured, "why isn't he moving?"

"He's got to be up to something." Kimiko suspected. When Omi emerged from the knot, Chase Young shook his head.

"Typical Xiaolin monk behavior." Chase tsked. "You can't undo what has already been done, just because you want it to change." He used the Wings of Tanabi to hover above the massive knot.

"There is always another way." Omi argued. He called upon the shard and resumed his work. After three more tries, he had barely made any headway. To everyone else, hardly a minute had passed. Chase extended the spikes on his arm cuffs.

"Every difficult problem has a simple solution. Thunder Striking Tree!" Chase shouted and dove toward the knot. By then, Omi was exhausted from running around the battle field and his weapon of choice was radiating heat. Chase was able to slash through the knot and reach the flask. Suddenly, the world fell back into place. "Ordinarily I'd humor you, but an item like this belongs in capable hands."

"Then just toss it up here Chase!" Jack cawed from the sky.

"The showdown's over Spicer." Kimiko snorted. "Go home."

"Yeah, about that," Jack said as he snapped his fingers. "I figured I'd skip the showdown and just grab the Wu from the winner." A small fleet of Jackbots in masks and sombreros came to his side. "Banditobots, fire!" Each bot whipped out a set of guns and fired at Chase.

"You idiot!" Raimundo managed to shout before a bullet hit one of the buried mines. Like dominoes, the mines blew up one after another. Using Jack's helipack as a stepping stone, Chase jumped away from the blast zone and pushed Jack toward it. Robot parts rained down from the sky onto the buried triggers. Dojo transformed and scooped up as many monks into the sky as he could.

"This is why I prefer fireworks in the sky where they belong." Dojo wheezed.

"Wait, where's Omi?" Kimiko gasped. Raimundo climbed over Dojo's back to get a view of the ground.

"Gosh darn it, the little feller was right near the blast." Clay hissed.

"Omi!" Raimundo shouted over the explosions. "We have to go back." He jumped, only to be caught by Dojo's claws.

"Woah there," Dojo soothed, "you can't go down there, it's too dangerous."

"We'll just have to wait until the bombs die down." Clay reasoned.

"We know you're worried, but Omi's going to be okay." Kimiko attempted. "You know, Tiger Instincts and all that."

When the smoke cleared, Omi was nowhere to be found.

~v~

Wuya was lounging by the fountain when Chase finally returned home. She flipped back her hair and gave him a sadistic smirk.

"I thought you weren't interested in toys." She commented.

"I'm not," Chase set his prize next to his throne, "however, if we want Hannibal Bean out of the picture we need to get rid of this." He readied himself to strike the pot, yet never moved from his stance.

"We don't have to break it." Wuya rolled her eyes. "All we have to do is make sure Hannibal never gets his hands on it. Throw it underground or have Cyclops eat it, if you can't destroy it yourself." She skimmed over the scroll. "To be honest, as long as we find a way to immobilize him and that turkey of his, all we have to do is throw him back in the Ying Yang world."

"It's not as simple as that." Chase shook his head. "Hannibal has been removed from the natural order of the world for over 900 years. The less we see of him, the more likely it is that he has grown weaker. Yet he didn't try and obtain the Yanghu Flask. Only the weak clamber after solutions like magic."

"It was good enough for you, wasn't it." Wuya sneered. "I don't see why you're hesitating. You've broken Shen Gong Wu before. Besides Lao Mei never even made it past Wudai warrior, why would it matter if you wrecked that one."

"Because she never got the chance to make another." He stared long and hard at the sloppily constructed Wu.

"Do you need me to break it for you?" Wuya teased. The flask shattered as it flew a few inches past her face. "Didn't think so."

"We still proceed with the plan as usual." Chase growled. "When will that idiot Spicer get here? As much as I detest it, those contraptions of his could be useful for keeping an eye on Hannibal Bean."

"You'll have to wait a while, he's not picking up."

"WHAT!?"

"I've tried using every form of messaging system there is; he's not answered once." Wuya held up a stolen phone. "And he still hasn't changed his voicemail." She hit a button, and the cave dwelling filled with Jack's attempt to sound evil followed by a shrill scream and something exploding.

"What could he possibly be up to at a time like this?" Chase hissed.

~v~

The walk back to his ship had been excruciating for Jack. He sat in his bedroom, desperately trying to fix his helipack. This was a limited edition model! Spare parts were exponentially expensive and one of the propellers was broken. He'd never gone into any situation without it on hand, it was one of the few things he had to give him the upper hand. With a sigh, he threw his wrench into the drawer. If he couldn't fix it, maybe the warranty could cover it. He hunted down the serial number and picked up the phone.

"Hi, yeah, I've got a model Chem X with a jammed propeller joint. Serial number 634AF5. I was wondering if the warranty is still valid." He frowned when the operator laughed at him. "Yeah, keep laughing, I've got the case by case coverage pal, that includes shipping." A stirring across the room demanded his attention. "I gotta go, don't think I won't call back." He hung up the phone and grabbed a pen light. Using the desk as a kick board, he launched himself towards his bed. The small office chair spun as he came to a stop halfway across the room. "Thank goodness you're awake." Omi turned his head slowly and tried to get to a sitting position. "You scared the crud out of me getting knocked out like that. You alright, any dizziness or double vision?" He flashed the pen light in Omi's face, who cringed and held up his hands. "Stop squirming, I'm checking your pupils."

"Why?" Omi asked.

"Concussions suck, trust me, I know. If you hit your head too hard, you shouldn't be moved around too much." He turned off the light. "And your friends would have killed me if I showed up at the temple with you unconscious."

"We're enemies, you didn't have to save me. My fellow warriors would have come back for me." He groaned, he really didn't want to throw-up in front of the enemy.

"But you could have died!" Jack objected. The evil boy genius felt like he was under the young monk's scrutiny. "Look, just don't read too much into it short-stop. You sure you're feeling alright?"

"My stomach hurts." Omi admitted sheepishly.

"Great, sit tight, I'll get you some Pepto." He stood up to get the medicine. "Do you have a cell phone or a number I could call."

"We have a few cell phones, but I haven't memorized the numbers yet." From his position he could see the bruises that ran along Jack's arms and thighs. "You're hurt."

"Hunh?" Jack blinked as he came back with a pink bottle in hand. "Oh, these are old. Carrying bot parts," he said pointing to his legs, "dancing showdown," he help up a mottled forearm, "and Chase." He pointed to his left shoulder. "That one's new." He handed a cup to Omi. "I sent a Jack bot to the temple with a note. Should only take an hour to get there. I'm sure you'll be fine, but they should pick you up with the Tiger Claws just in case, less jostling." Omi hesitantly took the medicine.

"I've never seen you without your make-up before." Omi commented. He didn't know what to think as he stared at his enemy with a clean face. The boy in front of him had turned into a monster in his later years and enslaved all humanity. He had seen first hand his friends die at Jack's request. Yet here he was, being nursed by his first true enemy. It was hard to believe this pale faced teen could be capable of something so horrible.

"Yeah, the school doesn't let me wear it and I have rehearsals soon." He stretched. "The uniform restriction is really strict." He stuck out his tongue. "Though usually my naked face isn't the reason people look at me like a freak of nature." He observed.

"I didn't mean to." Omi admitted. "This is all so very strange." Being nice, wearing normal clothes; it was like the evil boy genius was a different person. No, he wasn't a different person, this person was also Jack Spicer.

"I get that." Jack said with a frustrated sigh. "Today, no, this whole week has been awful for me. You'll just have to deal with my civilian gig, because frankly, I don't want to think for a while. I'll put on a movie or something so you aren't bored out of your concussed mind." He went to go downstairs.

"Jack... thank you." Omi offered.

"Sure," Jack shrugged, "I mean you would have done the same for me, so... Whatever, hope you like Disney, cause that's all I got."

~v~

Once the Xiaolin monks touched down on the temple grounds, they ran to the Shen Gong Wu vault.

"Kids," Dojo squawked, "shouldn't we tell Master Fung about this?"

"I shot him a text earlier," Kimiko explained, "but I should go explain the situation in person. You guys try to find Omi with the Crystal Glasses." Before she could leave, they came to find a lone Jack-bot hovering outside the temple vault.

"Message for you sir." It stated as Clay tebigonged it in the face. He snatched the paper from its metallic grip.

"Dear Xiaolin Dorks. I have Omi. Bring the claws." The paper crumpled in his grip. "That dirty snake! He didn't even have the decency to spell Xiaolin right, it says 'Showlen'."

"Kimiko," Raimundo said in a low voice, "go tell Master Fung we're leaving, and we aren't coming back without him."

~v~

Jack lounged in his saucer chair next to the bed. A bowl of popcorn sat on the end table to share, but he was the one who was eating out of it.

"He was eleven!" Jack argued. "If turning him into a beast was what she did when he followed stranger danger, imagine what horrible things could have happened if he let the hag in. It's no wonder he doesn't want people inviting themselves into his house."

"That doesn't mean he had to be mean to everyone." Omi argued. "He would have been saved already if he let people in."

"He's not doing it on purpose." Jack countered. "All I'm saying is a little apprehension is to be expected when you get tricked like that. He doesn't stay an angry fluff ball the whole movie. Though let's be honest, he looks better as a monster." He heard the door to his lab slam open. "Shoot, forgot to tell them we'd be upstairs." He got up to open the door. "Jack bots, up-" A heavy kicked collided with his stomach, sending him crashing to the ground.

"Jack!" Omi shouted.

"I found him." Clay hollered. "Hold on little buddy, we're getting you out of here."

"Clay, wait!" Omi began. Clay slung the monk over his shoulder. He ran downstairs to where the rest of the group was, Jack scrambled after them.

"You really shouldn't have-" Jack was cut off when Omi screamed.

"Put me down!" Clay set the young monk down, who teetered to the trash and threw up.

"What did you do to him?" Raimundo growled.

"I didn't do anything!" Jack held up his hands. He walked backwards, away from Clay, and got backed up into a wall. "If you have the Tiger Claws-"

"If you ever lay so much as a finger on him again-" he punched the wall next to him.

"Clay, let's just go." Raimundo interrupted. "Omi's not looking too good." They hurried outside to ride Dojo, but Omi refused the helping hand up, instead opting to climb on the dragon himself. "Omi, are you feeling okay?"

"There was nothing to worry about," Omi groaned, "it was just Jack Spicer. I wasn't in any danger. Please excuse me, I am feeling woozy again."

"Not on the scales!" Dojo cried.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Kimiko asked.

"I appreciate your concern," Omi sighed, "but I am fit as a violin."

"I'm going to let him have that one." Raimundo whispered to Kimiko.

~v~

"I am so missing rehearsals over this." Jack sighed as he placed a bag of ice on his eye.

"Well, well, well," Hannibal Bean chirped, "looks like somebody got themselves in heap of trouble."

"This day just keeps getting better." Jack wished he could melt into the couch.

"I should say so." Hannibal beamed as Ying Ying rested on the arm of the couch. "That was quite an impressive work of evil you carried out today. Firing real bullets at the enemy," he shook his head, "someone could have gotten hurt. And to top it all off, you kidnapped a monk and held them for ransom. Pure genius."

"But I didn't..." Jack frowned, "You really think so?"

"Why of course. The execution was rough around the edges, but the potential is definitely there. What you need is a mentor. Someone to help you reach your true potential as an evil overlord." Hannibal purred. "Just picture it; Jack Spicer, Evil Emperor of Darkness."

"And who would be my mentor, you?" Jack stated blandly.

"Who else? I'm getting on in years, but you could easily carry on the legacy as the evilest Heylin Warrior to ever live." Hannibal wriggled with excitement. "I know what it is like to get left behind Jack, but you don't have to be." Ying Ying nudged him in the back expectantly. "And as a sign of good faith, I would be willing to offer my services as an advisor for free. If you want to become a true Heylin Warrior, you should consider becoming my apprentice."

"What makes you think I'd work with you? Let alone for you?"

"Because you have no one left to turn to." Hannibal said slowly. Ying Ying projected a collection of recordings she gathered over the month.

_"Jack's smothering neediness is enough to make anyone's skin crawl, and I didn't even have skin for the longest time." Wuya examined her nails._

_ "Jack Spicer is not even worth considering as cat food!" Chase shouted._

_ "Don't get me started on Jack." Kimiko groaned. "Things would be so much easier if he would just go away."_

_ "The guy just can't take a hint." Clay agreed. "Nobody even likes him."_

_ "Plus, those robots of his keep getting stupider and stupider." Raimundo sighed._

_ "There was nothing to worry about," Omi groaned, "it was just Jack Spicer."_

"Face it Jack," Hannibal sighed, "we could both use a friend." He wanted so much to believe the video he was looking at wasn't true. That this was somehow a trick, but this video had lip flaps. He was familiar with the slander that had been thrown at his name. Everyone was his ally at one point, yet they would easily toss him aside within twenty-four hours of teaming up. After all, 'it was just Jack Spicer'.

"I don't know," Jack admitted, "you'd really advise me for free?"

"What are friends for?" Hannibal shrugged. Jack bit his lip and stared at the melting ice pack in his hands.

~v~

Chase successfully hacked into Jack's computer system for, what seemed, the fourth time that week. He couldn't help but wonder, if he was the only one who had a fire wall. The lab looked torn up and dark. Rather than confronting an evil boy genius, he was face to face with a doppelganger in silver robes.

"Hello Chase Young," Robo Chase greeted, "still living off the essence of my brothers?"

"I thought I destroyed you." Chase spat at the robot. "Where is that idiot Spicer? I need to talk with him."

"It appears my new Master has placed you on a 'do not call' list." Robo Chase stated. "A little odd, but I do believe you understand the meaning. So if you were hoping to leave a message, I have been instructed to decline. As for where he is, he's currently upstairs working on battle strategies. Though I hardly call a party 'strategy'. If you'll excuse me, it appears I'm being summoned. Good night young monk, I can't say this reunion has been a pleasant one." The screen cut out and Chase was left in the darkness.

"That wasn't nearly as funny as last time." Wuya lamented. "You weren't acting like yourself."

"I told you that isn't me!"

"You're just mad because you were just as much of a whiny loser at that age as Jack, only he makes stupid robots instead of defective Shen Gong Wu. Didn't notice it until I saw the two standing next to each other." She cackled. "So Jack's ignoring us now, big deal. There are tons of grunts that'll do the job for us."

"For the last time-" He pinched the bridge of his nose. "We need to restrategize. Hannibal isn't going to sit around waiting to be captured. He has to be up to something."

"Was the Ants in the Pants one of yours?" Wuya asked.

"I have to call a few more people." Chase dismissed and walked off.

"I knew it." Wuya grinned.

~v~

Raimundo found Clay in the kitchen, piling together a plate of odd leftovers. He was still agitated by the day's events, and had turned to food to quell his discontent.

"What was that back there?" Raimundo asked.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking." Clay mumbled.

"I didn't ask you to apologize." Raimundo rolled his eyes as he took a seat. "Omi's feeling better now. Master Fung said he had a mild concussion, but is otherwise fine."

"Thank goodness." Clay sighed.

"Look man, next time we need to have a plan of attack. We can't just go around making threats we shouldn't keep." Raimundo shook his head.

"There shouldn't be a next time." Clay argued.

"I know." Raimundo agreed. "But what else are we supposed to do."

"I don't know." Clay sighed. "All I know is hunting for Shen Gong Wu hasn't stopped the world from plunging into darkness, it's just gotten us hurt."

"Maybe this isn't just about us." Raimundo speculated. "I keep looking through the scrolls, and we are the largest team of Xiaolin Dragons since Dashi. There have been potential Xiaolin Dragons that never made it to the temple before. And the Shen Gong Wu have never reveled themselves one after another like this. Something's up."

"What are we supposed to do about it?" Clay asked. He set aside his plate and joined Raimundo at the table.

"All I know is the only thing keeping it from affecting the rest of the world, is us." Raimundo stood up. "And whenever it does rear its ugly head we're going to be there to beat the snot out of it. All of us."

**AN: This was originally going to have an amnesia plot to it, but I felt that was a little tired and ineffective for my purposes. Omi doesn't need to forget everything that happens to want to see the good in someone. It's just an inherit part of who he is. I also wanted to touch a bit on why Clay would abandon the temple as leader.**


	8. That's Amora

After weighing his options, Chase Young decided to call upon an old favor. The projection flickered on the wall as a preppy, uniformed blonde appeared on screen.

"Hey lizard boy, I thought I told you not to magically skype me during class." The girl rolled her eyes.

"I have a mission for you my apprentice."

"Cool," she shrugged, "but what's in it for me?"

"You don't want to know what it is first?" Chase raised an eyebrow.

"Make it worth my while and Katnappe will sort out the details with you later." She whispered.

"Would this strike your fancy?" Chase asked as he held up the shadow of fear.

"Hmm... You got a deal." She agreed.

"Ms. Underman!" Someone shouted off screen. "Ashley's texting in class again."

"Shut up doofus," Ashley barked, "I'm not even on my phone!"

"When can you offer your services?" Chase asked.

"I've got a thing after school," Ashley grumbled, "I can be there at 9." She looked up from her screen. "I said I wasn't texting, hey!" Chase cut off the transmission before her phone was repossessed.

"Some apprentice you've got there." Wuya quipped.

"She is low maintenance and easy to manage." Chase argued. "She will serve our purposes well."

~v~

"We've got a problem kids." Dojo said as he flopped onto the dining room table. "You see this?" He slapped a newspaper article in front of the monks.

"From the Moon Grove Forest in Xi'an, a new artifact was found for the Boyd Museum of Ancient History, the Emerald Amora marks the final piece needed to open a new wing to the museum. _Many of the artifacts from the temple of Long Mu have been stolen or destroyed._" Kimiko read aloud. "_We're proud to announce after fifty years of searching, the exhibit can finally open._ Said Avius Boyd."

"The temple of Long Mu was the original Xiaolin Temple." Raimundo frowned.

"That Shen Gong Wu will be on display at a party for one night." Dojo emphasized. "Then it will get locked away for good."

"Then, it should be safe in the museum's hands?" Omi asked.

"I doubt the museum is Wuya proof," Raimundo sighed, "maybe we could offer a trade?"

"I can talk with my dad and see if he could offer us some leverage." Kimiko agreed. She dialed the number.

"But what are we going to offer them?" Clay asked. "We have a few Wu that are harmless, but would it be anything they'd want?"

"Whatever it is," Raimundo began, "it has to be over 1,000 years old."

"What about the Mantis Flip Coin?" Omi asked. "Legend says it was made from the same wood as the temple."

"Do we still have that?" Clay asked.

"Y- Uhh..." Dojo faltered. "I'll go check."

~v~

Jack stood nervously in the ballroom of his parents 'work' mansion. He hated dressing nice, but most of all, his Wu sensor was going off at the new artifact his dad dug up. This party was a huge deal for his parents. Their apprehension about his request to attend was well warranted. Jack had a history of trying to spice up the party with his home-made gadgets. Needless to say, all 'weird' things had been confiscated from him the moment he got off the plane.

"Jackie!" A sing song voice cooed. "You remember the Anderson's daughter Ashley, right? I seem to recall you attend the same prep school." Jack wanted to bury his face in his hands.

"Mom, what are you doing?" His mother stood in elegant purple and white attire. Her red hair was swept back to frame her face. Jewelry hung off of every appendage, as if to shout to the room that the mansion belonged to her.

"Now, now Jack; what did we say about using our big boy voices?" She gave Ashley's shoulders a gentle squeeze. "I thought you could use a little friend to keep you company."

"Sure mom, thanks." When his mother went to attend to other party guests, Jack glared at her. "What are you doing here?" He hissed.

"Oh don't give me that look doofus, I have to come to all these stupid things if I want to keep my allowance." Ashley snorted. "Mom thought it would be cute if we had matching outfits." She made a gagging noise.

"It's just, I haven't seen you at too many Wu hunts lately." Jack observed.

"Well some of us have a life." Ashley sneered. "Besides, I only show up if there's proper pay out. It's simple economics really." Jack heard a collection of familiar voices down the hall.

"I feel like half my head is missing without my hat." Clay frowned as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Quit messing with it." Kimiko scolded. "So remember guys, these are normal people. They don't realize they're sitting on a magical ticking time bomb. Just play it cool and we'll be fine."

"No need to worry Kimiko, we'll keep the lock low." Omi agreed.

"That's locked up," Raimundo sighed, "...or maybe low key?"

"How the heck should I know?" Clay asked. "Hey, there's the Wu."

"Oh no, I thought they'd show up." Jack moaned. As the others approached, Jack held out his arms. Behind him, a gold encrusted emerald sat in a dingy glass orb. The artifact was plainly displayed on a pillar in the center of the ballroom. "Look, I can't afford to cause a scene right now, my mom'll kill me. Just get out of here and go home."

"We're allowed to hunt for Shen Gong Wu just as much as you are, you dirty ape." Clay glowered. As he talked, Ashley inched closer to the emerald. She was met by Jack who tried to stop her. Amidst the tussle, Jack hit the pedestal and sent the orb flying. Three people grabbed it mid air.

"Jack, girl I know I've seen somewhere; I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown. My Mikado Arms, verses your Third Arm Sash."

"And my Shadow of Fear." Ashley added.

"Haha, you guys are funny, let go." Jack argued.

"What the matter Jack?" Ashley cawed. "Would you rather play tea party with your dolls?"

"Let's go, Xiaolin Showdown!" Jack shouted quickly. The Shen Gong Wu radiated light. The elegant floor transformed into a silk table cloth, in the center a huge pile of China dishes were stacked. At the edge of the arena, three huge teddy bears sat, each with their own colored ribbon.

"What just happened?" Ashley asked, now in full Katnappe gear.

"Well, it looks like we're playing tea party, with dolls." Raimundo sighed.

"Thanks a lot Ashley." Jack said smugly.

"It was a joke." Katnappe defended with a sigh. "Fine, first one to get their set to their bear wins, I guess."

"Gong Yi Tanpi!" Everyone shouted. The arena floor tilted back and forth, making it difficult to find purchase on the silken ground. With the Mikado Arms, Raimundo had no trouble moving his green striped china. Jack was able to use his Third Arm Sash to drag his saucer slowly across the board. Choosing to ignore her Wu, Katnappe jumped at Jack's plate and cracked it down the middle.

"Hey!" Jack shouted. Now he would take longer to complete his set. Katnappe then turned and aimed the black falcon at Raimundo.

"Shadow of Fear-" Katnappe was thrown to the ground by Jack. "Watch it!" She exclaimed and smacked him. The magic still hurtled toward Raimundo, who directed it toward his opponents by using the teacup as a deflector. The ray hit both Katnappe and Jack.

A music box tune echoed through the arena, followed by a high pitched giggle.

"Who's a happy birthday boy?" The shadows cackled.

"Oh, don't tell me..." Raimundo cringed.

"It can only be one thing." Jack shuddered with each musical step.

"Laughy Daffy," Katnappe whispered, "the birthday clown." A seemingly innocent clown emerged from the darkness.

"Who wants a balloon animal?" He said in a sing-song voice. He made a kitten out of green balloons, only to pop it with a needle and a sadistic grin. The three screamed and ran away from the man in melting face paint. Raimundo slammed his cup on a saucer in front of a green bear. Tea streamed down from the ceiling into his cup. The teddy bear clapped with joy. The Emerald Amora, encased in a glass bubble, bobbed around in the cup.

"Got it!" He cheered as the clown was about to poke Katnappe with a needle. Like many times before, the world fell back into place. Raimundo stood triumphant, the new Wu a loft in his hand.

"Seriously, give that back!" Jack shouted. He reached for the Wu again.

"It's not yours," Raimundo snorted, "I won the showdown fair and-" As he avoided Jack's grasp, the orb slipped from hand and shattered on the floor.

"Nice going Jack," Ashley hissed, "you broke it!"

"What's going on in here?" A tall man asked. His auburn hair was greased back, a thin pair of spectacles on his face. Behind him were the museum director and their investors. His gaze darted from the shattered glass to the crowd of children and back.

"Dad!" Jack squeaked. "I-I can explain. I-" Mr. Spicer's features grew weary.

"Gentlemen, why don't we adjourn to the study for now." Mr. Spicer sighed. "As much as I'd love my team's recent discovery to be the finishing piece to the exhibit; we've received a rather generous offer from another investor." He herded their prying eyes away from the scene with practiced grace. Jack's mom came rushing toward the ballroom, and briefly paused to converse with her husband. She then rushed toward the scene with an irritated smile.

"I'll take care of this darling." She sighed. "You must be tired from all the excitement."

"But mom I-" Jack began.

"I think that's enough partying for one night." She said again, a degree firmer. Jack relented and trudged upstairs away from the prying eyes of the exhibitors. Mrs. Spicer proceeded to direct staff on how to clean up. "Leave no piece behind, I'm sure the preservation department will be able to piece it back together, or at least make a replica." She pulled a small calculator from her purse and began adding numbers.

"Mam," Raimundo said after clearing his throat, "on behalf of the Xiaolin Temple, we deeply apologize for..." He struggled to think of the right word. "Uh, this." Mrs. Spicer blinked then tilted her head to the side.

"I'm sorry, whose child did you say you were?" She asked not recognizing any of them.

"We know Jack." Omi clarified.

"Oh dear, how much?" Mrs. Spicer sighed melodically.

"Pardon me?" Clay asked.

"How much do I owe you?" Mrs. Spicer clarified. "Jack's pranks can get a little out of hand sometimes. Was it robots, it was probably robots, how bad was the damage?" When they didn't respond right away, she shook her head. "I'll just organize a basic pardon deal, we'll cover any additional damaged he caused." She punched a few more numbers into the machine.

"We don't want your money." Kimiko began. "We were hoping to talk to Professor Boyd about our Mantis Flip Coin, he said it might be valuable." Dojo tried not to laugh from within Clay's pocket, but he wasn't doing a very good job.

"And I am sure we have caused just as much damage to your home as Jack has to ours." Omi relented.

"Dude," Raimundo groaned, "you don't say no to free cash." He sighed. "But, we're sorry for any inconvenience we caused. We try not to make a habit of it." They all bowed, as they had been taught.

"Then you're Jack's friends?" Mrs. Spicer said in amazement. "I always assumed they were imaginary. I believe a Mr. Tohomiko was willing to donate the Mantis Coin in exchange for the original Emerald Amora." Kimiko nodded in agreement and pulled out the coin. "I thought the monks would be little old men. Well then, I'll let them know you're here. Please watch your step, and don't worry about the winter house, that's Jack's responsibility." She lead them to the study to finish negotiations.

~v~

Kimiko found Raimundo pouring over scrolls in the common room. Master Fung had been furious when he found out the protective casing for the Wu had been broken. Their leader had to sit through an hour long lecture on responsibility and maturity. As it was, the temple elders had to research the methods for making a new casing.

"It's past ten." Kimiko said gently.

"If I'm going to get this done before the next Wu citing, I'll need to get this finished tonight." Raimundo sighed. He hated being in work mode all the time. It meant he didn't get as much time to hang out with his friends. He couldn't even remember the last time he sat down to watch a movie from being to end.

"What happened to getting sleep?" Kimiko giggled.

"I promised Omi I'd help him with his scissor kick," Raimundo explained, "but I can't fall behind on these assignments either. Master Fung expects a full report after each mission now."

"Would it kill you to delegate some tasks?" Kimiko asked as she sat down next to him. "You're taking on too much at once, something's going to suffer for it." Perhaps a poor choice of words on her part. Raimundo's features hardened as he dug through the scroll pile.

"I left the translating guide in the scroll room." He groaned. Before he could leave, Kimiko placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"One thing," Kimiko said sternly, "I don't care how stupid it is, think of one thing that I could do to help you." She let go of his shoulder to shake a finger at him. "Think about it."

"Sure, whatever." He chuckled as he got up.

"I mean it," Kimiko called after him, "I'm not going to bed until you tell me what it is."

~v~

"Clay!" Omi shouted as he ran down the hall that afternoon. "Something most curious has happened!" Omi dragged Clay to the meditation room where Raimundo's scrolls had been abandoned.

"That's a mighty fine pile of paper Omi, but since when had Raimundo leaving a mess qualify as curious?" Clay asked with a tip of his hat.

"Raimundo is always careful with the sacred scrolls." Omi said suspiciously. "However, that is not what I wanted to talk to you about." Omi darted his eyes back and forth and whispered. "Kimiko was crying in the bathroom last night. I didn't think Kimiko ever cried. I mean, she never has before. I think something is wrong." Omi sighed. "You have more experience with girls then I do. What should we do?"

"I'm not sure, just because I have a sister, doesn't mean I understand women as a whole." Clay reasoned. "Personally, I don't think we should be meddling if she doesn't come to us about it." He considered Omi's concerned disappointment. "But I recon we could find Rai before practice and see what he thinks. In the meantime, I think we should clean this up. Those scrolls don't need any more tea stains." A heavy sense of foreboding fell on his shoulders and he was sure Omi could feel it too.

After cleaning, the two walked into the kitchen to see that Raimundo had already taken care of the morning chore preparations.

"Good morning you guys!" He grinned.

"Rai," Clay asked slowly, "you made breakfast for everybody?"

"Sure did!" Raimundo grinned. "You guys have been helping me out so much lately, I figured I owed you one. It's not much," Raimundo admitted as he set out the spread, "but I hope you enjoy it. Good morning Kimiko!" He beamed at the nervous girl who had walked up behind her teammates.

"I already ate." She mumbled and darted off in the opposite direction.

"See," Omi whispered, "curious."

"Most curious indeed." Clay agreed.

~v~

All things considered, Raimundo was feeling a lot better today. Kimiko was right, going to sleep did help. Kimiko was right about a lot of things actually. Wait, what was he doing? Right, they were supposed to be practicing.

"Shen Gong Wu can be combined with your Shoku element to help channel your powerful abilities. For today's practice we will be working with your Wudai weapons."

"Right, we have those," Kimiko muttered distractedly, "kinda forgot all about them." She fished around her back pack for her elemental weapon.

"You will need to focus in order to accomplish this task." Master Fung continued. I have absolute faith in your ability to succeed. Take your weapon and call upon your Shoku element." Kimiko slipped on her Cat's Eye Draco and threw her three projectiles in the air.

"Shoku Areo Sparrow, Fire!" She called. The three missiles erupted into flames and combined into a torrential phoenix. "Wicked." She cheered. The phoenix soared overhead and dive-bombed toward the huddled group. They had to hit the deck as the flaming attack crashed into one of the garden trees. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" Master Fung showered down the garden with the Orb of Tornomi and a sigh.

"Don't worry Kimiko, it's okay." Raimundo shrugged, his good mood unflappable. Kimiko, on the other hand, looked tired and on edge.

"What is wrong with you?" She snapped. "Have you completely lost your mind? What part of this is okay? Any of this?" She gestured wildly about. "I can't believe you can stand here with that stupid grin on your face! I'm sorry Master Fung, I just can't do this today."

"Kimiko?" Raimundo asked passively. "I'll help clean up." Master Fung regarded the monk with a careful nod.

"Ugh," Dojo grunted from Master Fung's shoulders, "I thought we were safe from teenage hormones for a couple more years." He shuddered at the thought. "Someone ought to talk to those kids."

"Thank you for volunteering your services Dojo." Master Fung smiled.

"But I didn't-" Dojo sputtered. " Oh no, you are not pinning this one on me too. You said I didn't have to handle puberty if I covered Sex-Ed and that's not for four more years."

"Yes, but I fear we have a far more delicate situation on our hands." Master Fung proposed. "As I recall, it is your job to educate the Young Monks about the nature of the Shen Gong Wu. Where did the children put the new Shen Gong Wu?"

"With all the other high risk Wu's, in the vault under the meditation..." Dojo's body blanched. "Ooh." He cringed and avoided Master Fung's eyes. "I'll get right on that." He slithered down to find the others.

~v~

Jack had finished packing his bags for his trip back to the winter manor in Arizona. His parents would still be here for the remainder of the school year, but he couldn't stand the suffocating disappointment that oozed out of them after an 'incident'. He'd just profusely apologize, wait it out in Arizona, and by the time the holidays would arrive everything would have settled back to normal. He carried his bags downstairs when he heard his parents talking in the dining room.

"The museum director is willing to keep the story out of the papers if I work overtime on the Ireland expedition this summer." His father announced. By the sounds of it, he was exhausted. Not a real surprise to Jack, his father always sounded tired.

"What are we going to do about Jack?" His mother asked. She was on the verge of another breakdown. Stress didn't treat the woman right, and she frequently turned to therapy when things went south. The house would be flooded with lavender candles and 'soothing' music that reminded Jack of a massage parlor.

"There was no real harm done." His father argued. "Nothing totally irreparable."

"You can't keep making excuses for him Hector," his mother sighed, "something has to be done now, or you'll be working overtime the rest of your life."

"Jack's a special kid," Hector argued, "he has to figure things out on his own. He can't do that if you keep hovering."

"Special and destructive are two different things," his mother expressed, "he's already been kicked out of three private school. I just, don't know what to do anymore, I've tried everything."

"If Jack wants to be a reject, that's his prerogative, there's no point tearing your hair out over it." Jack couldn't remember if he said goodbye before he left the house. If his parents wondered where he was later, they'd text him.

~v~

Omi watched in horror at the scene that played out before him, Clay quietly continued to scrub the floor.

"I really don't see what the problem is?" Raimundo sighed with a gentle smile. "Either you're interested or not, it as simple as that."

"No, it's not as simple as that." Kimiko sobbed. "Whether I'm interested or not is so not the issue here! We have a responsibility to this team! There are rules Rai, do you know how many Dragons of Water got banished from the temple just from talking about this?" She practically threw herself onto the table.

"If you're not comfortable with it, I won't do anything." Raimundo said sincerely. "The last thing I want to do is make you uncomfortable." He rested a firm hand on her shoulder, but she pushed it away.

"Would you just listen to yourself? You could lose your position as leader, and it's like you don't even care!" Kimiko whimpered. "Everything was fine just the way it was. Why did you have to put this in my lap like this? Just leave me alone."

"As you wish." Raimundo sashayed out the door.

"Kimiko, are you alright?" Omi asked.

"You just don't understand!" Kimiko wailed, and ran like a sissy out the door. Omi looked to Clay for guidance, who sighed at the floor.

"I've had to sit through my fair share of fights." Clay admitted. "But something is definitely off. We need to find away to fix, whatever this is fast, before something terrible happens."

"KIDS!" Dojo shouted as he tore through the temple. Omi and Clay jolted from their cleaning duty.

"Dojo?" Omi frowned.

"What's gotten you all worked up for?" Clay asked. The small dragon started pushing Omi out of the room.

"Less talking, more leaving!" Dojo wheezed. Once the two were safe in their sleeping quarters, Dojo flopped onto the floor. "We've got a bit of a problem." He confessed. "Not a big deal, just a teeny, tiny hiccup." He gasped.

"Alright, you pulled us out like a bat out of..." Clay paused and looked at Omi. "Well, I can't exactly say, but something has to be wrong."

"There's something I forgot to tell you guys about the Emerald Amora." Dojo relented. "It doesn't work the way it's supposed to. In fact, many early Shen Gong Wu are faulty, but this one's particularly volatile. It leaks."

"Leaks?" The two monks frowned.

"Right, leaks," Dojo sighed, "magic all over the place. It kinda never stopped working once it was activated. That's why Dashi sealed it up."

"If this thing amplifies emotions, then that could be what's wrong with Kimiko and Raimundo." Clay concluded. He scrambled to his trunk where he pulled out a gold band.

"The Eclipse Collar?" Omi gaped. "What are you doing with that?"

"I've been holding onto it for an emergency, in case somebody got hurt again. I can use this to fix everything." Clay suggested in a hurry.

"Hold your horses there cowboy!" Dojo exclaimed. "That Wu could have serious adverse effects! It only made you a little sick after the reunion, but that was for a smaller wish, this thing is huge!"

"What do you mean it made me a little sick after the reunion?" Clay asked slowly.

"That's not really important right now." Dojo sighed. "The point is, anytime somebody uses the phrase 'I wish', that thing will go off. You could seriously hurt yourself trying to fix this." Clay stared at the small gold band in his hands.

"Our team is falling apart Dojo, we need something to fix it fast." Clay argued.

"There has to be another way." Omi thought. "If we could contain the effects of the Emerald Amora, that could give us the time we need. Dojo, where is the Bubbo Bubble?" The dragon reached into his ear and pulled out a small sack of Wu.

"Right here." Dojo used the changing chopsticks to return the pink orb to its intended state.

"We can use this instead." Omi suggested. "People at the temple aren't thinking straight, and that could include us too. This is the only way we can clear our heads." Clay hesitated, every fiber of his being shouting to resolve the problem as quickly as possible.

"Okay, we'll try it your way first." He relented. They went into the meditation room and opened the vault. Crystallized vines clung to the walls of the vault with small golden flowers blooming all over.

"Man, this thing has grown out of control!" Dojo exclaimed. "We've got to get to the source and cut it off. Try not to touch the vines!" Omi and Clay jumped over the thick vine that grew along the steps. The emerald vines crawled along the floor and tried to coil around his feet. The closer to the Wu they got, the denser the vines became. The walkway was crossed off by a loose webbing of vines. Clay picked up the young monk.

"Aim of slot 302!" He hurtled Omi through a hole in the web. Omi rolled and stopped short of another vine. "Can you see it?" Clay asked.

"I can!" Omi grinned. He came to the drawer the Wu was stored in, a trunk like growth forcing the stone box open. "Bubbo Bubble!" Omi called. A clear, pink orb surrounded the drawer. Now cut off from it's limbs, the surrounding crystal vine grayed and crumbled like charcoal. "Is everything alright upstairs?" Omi asked.

"There's only one way to tell." Clay murmured.

~v~

Jack threw his backpack on the kitchen counter of the winter house, where he'd been living for the past few years. Still no text, though his parent were probably in bed by now. Having no helipack sucked, having to fly home with other people sucked, and he wasn't sure he liked having his father's collection around him after yesterday's incident. He quickly changed into his evil genius clothes so he could properly brood in his lab. Hannibal lounged on the center lab table.

"You did good Jack." The bean wheezed.

"Good? What did I do good? I had my butt handed to me during the showdown and now I won't see my parents till December." Jack ranted. "If I had my robots with me, it might not have been an issue..." But his contraptions unnerved his family.

"What you suffer from is a lack of man power." Hannibal suggested. "A child of your skill set against four trained martial artists, it's simple mathematics. They have you out numbered."

"I already knew that, that's why I made Robo Chase." Jack said with a jerk of his thumb. The robot lounged on his cot, which Jack installed for long work nights.

"Jeong." The android corrected dryly.

"Right, Jeong, but even he doesn't want to fight with me."

"That's because it's pointless and somebody has to guard what little weapons we have." Jeong rolled his eyes.

"You need to let go of the idea that you'll have equals to work with." Hannibal shook his head. "An evil army isn't persuaded, it's managed. Learn to take charge. If someone tries to team up with you, let them know they work for you."

"I tried that, it doesn't work." Jack sighed.

"You're a nice kid." Hannibal relented. "But people like to take advantage of nice people, so you have to beat them to the punch. Use their weakness to your advantage."

"Yeah? Like what?"

"I believe you know a few people with the same vices." Hannibal grinned. "A true leader should be able to work with that. Just think of it as evening the playing field."

"Yeah," Jack nodded, a grin slowly enveloped his face, "yeah; I think it's about time it paid to be evil." He cackled. "Jeong, send a message to the evil forum." Jack ordered as he examined his father's collection. "I have a few rejects to get rid of."

~v~

Raimundo and Kimiko profusely apologized for their behavior. No real harm had been done, but the young lady of the group was thoroughly embarrassed by the melodrama she brought into the temple. It seemed that the vines had found sunlight through the scroll room, and had been affecting a number of monks within the temple.

"There is one thing I don't quite understand." Omi remarked. "I have never heard of a Dragon of Water who was banished from the temple before." Kimiko sighed.

"I found it during my studies." Kimiko admitted. "With the whole 'Ancient Guide to Females' nonsense, I wanted to see if I was the first female dragon warrior. I'm not, by the way, but I think I'm the first female Dragon of Fire whose fought in combat. Female Xiaolin Dragons were supposed to take care of the temple itself, guard the vault and that sort of thing. They had to follow a strict lifestyle in order to stay at the temple and were considered to be priestesses more than warriors. It wasn't until Dashi created the new temple that, that changed."

"But why were they banished?" Omi prodded.

"They, uh, broke certain rules and," She fumbled, "made it so not all Dragon Warriors in their group could be treated equally."

"What were-"

"I think that's enough excitement for one night," Dojo coughed, "learning is fun and all, but you kids need some shut eye." He sighed with relief when Omi let the subject drop.

"Experience is a comb that we receive just when we are going bald, Dojo." Master Fung reminded.

"I can't tell if your nagging me or teaching a life lesson." Dojo sighed. "One of these days I'll get my own desk calendar, see how you like it."

"I look forward to it." Master Fung nodded. "Now children, I believe that we all could use some rest. The Bubbo Bubble will hold until my colleagues can make a new container." Kimiko hung behind as the others filed off to bed.

"Hey, uh, Rai?" She asked quietly.

"Yeah?" Raimundo lingered in the doorway.

"Did you really mean it when you asked me to kiss you last night, or was that just the Shen Gong Wu making you think things?" She blurted. Raimundo could feel his face heating up.

"Oh, that." He murmured. "I mean, did you mean it when you said you things were fine like they are?" The two stood in the room, each embarrassed to pursue the subject further. Kimiko churned the idea around in her head some more.

"It's just the whole nepotism thing," Kimiko tried to explain, "I can't help but wonder if this was why I got promoted first, and if the others knew..."

"Woah, hey, it wasn't just my decision to promote you!" Raimundo interjected. "Master Fung also agreed you were ready. The guys just... haven't gotten there yet. You're a great fighter, you know you are. I just never seriously thought about any of this... I didn't mean to throw this in your lap or anything." He sighed. Kimiko cringed at her own words being used against her.

"Listen, maybe once the guys go up to the next level, we could, I don't know." Kimiko sighed. "It wouldn't be as weird then, you know. We could, maybe, talk about this later."

"Yeah," Raimundo agreed, "the Grand Master of the temple would take over promoting us to Dragon Warrior at that point, and we'd all be on the same level again. So, we're cool, right?"

"Right." Kimiko nodded. "Umm, see you tomorrow." She brushed past him, trying to ignore how red her face felt.


	9. Calm Before the Storm

Chase sat in his throne, surrounded by his warrior cats. Before him, Wuya and Katnappe stood in the heart of his evil lair.

"The time for waiting is over." Chase announced. "Your instructions are clear, I hope."

"Yeah," Katnappe rolled her eyes, "keep the Xiaolin dweebs distracted at the next Wu sighting while you hunt down Hannibal from the sidelines. I know."

"This is of grave importance my apprentice. We must catch him while he's weak." Chase remarked. "If you ever want to amount to anything more than a petty thief, you will do as I say."

"Right, and where in all this do I finally learn how to turn people into cats?" Katnappe insisted.

"Hannibal is our top priority." Chase said. "Wuya will direct you to the Shen Gong Wu. For now, you are dismissed." Katnappe stormed off in a huff. Wuya nodded to him and with a snap of his fingers a black panther leaped from the ceiling. In its mouth, a small, grey hawk struggled. "Now, we can't have you interrupting our plans, can we?" Ying Ying uttered a strangled squawk. He turned to Wuya. "You know what to do." She held up the Scroll of Jong.

"Of course." She replied with a grin.

~v~

The monks found themselves jarred awake by Dojo's trumpeting at six in the morning. With the chaos at the temple, training had to take place whenever possible. It seemed that Master Fung had decided that six in the morning was the perfect time to start climbing a peg wall. The bleary-eyed monks stared up at a fourteen-foot wall riddled with holes.

"You know, I'm glad you take time out of your day to teach us and all," Raimundo yawned, "but couldn't this have waited until after breakfast?"

"The point of this exercise," Master Fung explained, "is to test your endurance. You have five minutes to scale the wall, and then return to the kitchen to start your morning chores. First one to the top, will get to enjoy a cup of tea with me instead." Dojo raised a party popper over his head, pulled the string, and sent confetti flying. "I hope you don't expect the children to clean that up, Dojo."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll go get the dustpan." Dojo said as he slithered off towards the temple. The children had already begun to climb the wall, using the sticks as leverage. Kimiko was in the lead, Raimundo close behind, complaining about how early it was. Followed by Clay who had gained on Omi due to the length of his arms. The cowboy glanced back at the youngest monk, who furiously tried to catch up. Clay went to put the one of the poles into a higher hole, but missed. The stick ricocheted and clattered to the ground. Clay then jumped down from the wall, and retrieved his stick, the others close the top. After a few more minutes, all four monks had scaled the wall, Kimiko being in first place.

"Well done, Dragon Warriors. Kimiko, come with me. As you completed the exercise first, you will get to enjoy some tea while the others go do their chores."

"Sweet! Have fun with the dishes boys!" Kimiko called.

"Whatever," Raimundo yawned, "come on guys, we get first dibs at the fridge."

"Yes, there is a most secret snack I have been holding onto." Omi agreed and raced off toward the kitchen.

"I'll be with you fella's in a second." Clay said. He went down the southern corridor looking for a certain green dragon. "Hey Dojo, do you got a minute?" The cowboy asked. The green guardian wiped salsa from his face with the back of his hand.

"Sure, what up?"

"It's about what you said earlier, about me getting sick from the Shen Gong Wu." The dragon cringed.

"You know, don't worry about it." Dojo laughed nervously. "Ah, just keep it in mind."

"But I didn't get sick." Clay insisted. "I didn't even use it, I mean, what would I even used it on?" Dojo wondered if he should bring up such a touchy subject.

"The Wu activates whenever someone says the phrase 'I wish'." Dojo reiterated. "I'm sure you noticed the change, in your siblings." Clay's posture became defensive.

"I would never use magic so my own kin." Clay argued. Dojo threw up his hands in defense.

"I know, I know; but you had the Wu with you at the time, didn't you?" The dragon watched as guilt spread across Clay's features.

"That doesn't mean I used it. We're family. Just because our parents don't get along anymore, doesn't mean we'll end up like that. And besides, you said using it makes you sick, right? But I didn't get sick at all. So I couldn't have possibly used it." Clay rationalized.

"I think it would be a good idea to return the Wu to Master Fung, for safe keeping." Dojo explained. "It's dangerous in anyone's hands. No madder how good their intentions are."

"You don't have to tell me that, I was going to when I saw him next." Clay grumbled. "It just might come in handy if we get caught in a sticky situation y'know."

"Magic isn't the quick fix everyone advertises it to be Clay." Dojo sighed. "Believe me, I wish it were. True strength isn't something that can be taught, if it were, I don't think we would have lost so many great warriors." Dojo glanced in the direction of the hall of heroes.

"I'm not like them Dojo." Clay insisted. "I'm just tired of the people around me getting hurt."

"Me too kid." Dojo lamented. Clay began to leave the hall as Dojo called over his shoulder. "If you ever need someone to talk to..." He trailed off at the end, uncertain where to go.

~v~

The autumn gale had begun to pick up outside the temple, causing the wind chimes to batter against each other. The two Shoku warriors were on the balcony, hoping to find some clue about the stolen artifact in the scrolls. Raimundo deemed it important to predict the enemy's next move. Omi had shown interest in lending a hand and offered his limited knowledge on the subject.

"Legend says it was used to determine who the next dragon warriors would be." Omi explained. "However, our predecessors feared that evil would come for the scroll. They made it their quest to hide it where evil would never find it."

"In the temple garden?" Kimiko asked incredulously.

"It is the last place I would look if I were a villain." Omi agreed.

"Besides, all records they left behind says it was hidden in the Andes Mountains." Raimundo remarked. "Unless someone moved it, they were pretty thorough covering their tracks. But that doesn't get us any closer to finding out what Chase has, or how he might use it." He closed up the scroll and reached for another just as Kimiko was about to do the same. She recoiled and he dropped the scroll with a nervous laugh. Omi slowly took the scroll through the silence, eyeing his two friends.

"Well..." Kimiko coughed. "It might have something to do with dragons."

"Yeah." Raimundo agreed. Another lull hit the conversation.

"We could always ask Master Fung what he knows?" She tried again.

"Probably would assign another assignment on top of it." Raimundo joked. Kimiko hated how awkward and forced her laughter sounded.

"Maybe it would be best if I were to go train in the garden." Omi suggested.

"No!" The Shoku warriors protested. Kimiko's phone began to ring.

"Got a take this real quick." She said in one breath and jumped to leave the tension. Once out of ear shot, Kimiko answered her phone. "Keiko, thank goodness! You don't know how happy am you finally called me back."

"Does this have anything to do with the seventeen panicked voicemails from last night." Keiko snickered

"Yeah I- seventeen?" Kimiko gaped. "Dude, I'm so sorry. There was magic involved." She rubbed at her temple with her free hand.

"I figured." She could practically hear Keiko's lopsided grin. "Hey congratulations on making Shoku warrior by the way. Just got the message."

"Yeah, thanks." Kimiko sighed.

"Too bad you want to make out with leader boy."

"KEIKO!" Kimiko shouted over her friend's laughter. "That's the last thing I want to think about right now and things have been so awkward lately." Her friend calmed down and asked why. "Well, we agreed to talk about... whatever this is, later and-"

"Ooh," Keiko grimaced, "I'm not exactly a love expert, but that sounds bad."

"But it's the right thing to do, to be fair." Kimiko insisted.

"Well yeah, but if you were okay with it, should it still be awkward?" Keiko asked. "Look, I'm probably the worst person to go to for love advice, but it sounds like you're over thinking things again. Either he's boyfriend material or he's not."

"Thanks Keiko." Kimiko drawled. Her friend snickered.

"Oh, by the way, I looked into that list of names you gave me." Keiko said in a serious tone. "It's just like you thought, all girls, even the first one."

"Are you sure?" Kimiko asked.

"Yep, the only remarkable thing I could find was one of them died crazy young." Keiko continued. "Nothing else seemed that out of the ordinary. You mind telling me who these people are?"

"Those were the previous dragons of water." Kimiko explained slowly. "All of them, except Omi. It just seemed kinda weird to me. I was hoping it was nothing, but, I don't know. Do you think it means something?"

"You're over thinking it Kimiko." Keiko sighed. "Is it weird? Yes, but you live in a Chinese temple where people fly on rainbows, and wind isn't even a Chinese element. Anything's possible."

"You're right." Kimiko sighed. "Things have been so stressful lately."

"We've got a hot Wu alert!" Dojo shouted through the halls.

"Does this mean I get to delete those voicemails?" Keiko asked.

"Yes, please!" Kimiko groaned and hung upon her cackling friend.

~v~

"I can't tell you how excited I am that this Wu finally popped up." Dojo cheered as he soared through the sky. "You know how you kids insist on bringing Wu, shrinking it down and sticking it in my ear? Well not anymore! With the Bag of Holding you can carry anything you want, even a grand piano. Of course, then the bag would weigh as much as a grand piano." Dojo realized. "But you get the idea."

"Sounds good to me, but we got serious company." Raimundo said. It seemed Vlad and Tubbimura were at odds with Katnappe and some of the biggest bads the Xiaolin had ever faced. Chase stood on the sidelines with Ying Ying chained at his wrist. The grey falcon was doing her best to peck out his eyes, but couldn't get past his spike shoulder pads.

"Hannibal Bean," Chase mused, "you're looking well. I'm surprised to see you."

"We both know why we're here, and it's not for some dusty old bag. Hand over the bird Chase." Hannibal spat. Wuya and Katnappe leaped to Chase's aid. Though the tiny bean seemed far from intimidating.

Dojo landed a few yards off, on the sultry Berma sand. As the monks piled off the dragon, Vlad chortled.

"Too late tiny warriors, we have already found the Bag of Holding."

"You mean the one in that tree?" Omi asked as he readied the Lasso Boa Boa.

"Katnappe, you get to that Wu." Wuya ordered. "I'll handle the bean." The red head looked back to find her enemy gone. Hannibal soared through the air as a surprisingly vicious swan. Once the water fowl transformed into a bean, he called for a showdown. The battle would be between Katnappe, Tubbimura, and thanks to the lasso, Omi.

"Nice form Omi!" Clay cheered.

"I challenge all'a y'all to a tag team showdown. Ying Yang and me versus your toughest fighters."

"I'm not taking any part in this," Chase smirked, "though feel free to try and tag your pet." Hannibal growled.

"The challenge is boxing."

"Lucky for us, Jack isn't here." Tubbimura grinned.

"Not that he would be a fighter in any sense of the word." Vlad agreed.

"Shut your trap!" Hannibal shrieked. "My Mobi Morpher against your Lasso Boa Boa, Glove of Jisaku, and Tongue of Saiping. Last one standing wins."

"Let's go, Xiaolin Showdown!" Everyone shouted. What remained of the forest tumbled to the ground. Four posts rose with red ropes and a beaten up ring. The blue skyline melted away and was replaced with twinkling star light. The heat remained. Above them, a silver bell hung at the center of the ring and sounded the final round. "Gong Yi Tanpi!"

The fighters were off, their teammates cheering from the other side of the rope. Chase sat a distance away from Raimundo and Kimiko in the audience.

"Am I offended to be put on the sidelines?" Raimundo asked. "No. Do I think there should have been a discussion or a vote before those meat heads threw themselves in there? Absolutely."

"If it's any consolation, I would have voted for you Rai." Kimiko grinned. "Wouldn't want you _tough _macho pride to be injured." She said as she punched his arm.

"Hey!" Raimundo said in mock offense. "I'm just worried about our dear friend Clay. He was under the weather a few weeks ago."

"Sure, whatever you say." Kimiko grinned.

In the ring, Wuya leaped and went straight for Hannibal, kicking the bean in the face. Omi dashed toward Tubbimura, who called on the Glove of Jisaku. The glove pulled on Wuya's and Omi's Wu, drawing them closer to the ninja. Hannibal had been sent flying, and used the momentum to bounce off the ropes and get behind Omi.

Katnappe leapt into the ring and tagged Wuya. Katnappe took her place, and used the momentum to bring her foot down on the ninja's head. Omi's lasso smacked Tubbimura in the face, just as the monk went to kick Katnappe square in the back.

"Mobi Morpher, form of crocodile." Hannibal shouted. Clay and Vlad tagged in leaving the Russian boy lassoed around the shoulders and Katnappe on the side.

"Actually," Clay said stepping on Hannibal's mouth, "you look more like a gator to me." He tightened his hold on the lasso. "The eyes and mouths are different." Hannibal transformed his lower half into a killer whale tail, ready to slap the cowboy with his fin. Clay pulled on the lasso, and brought Vlad down on the mystic monstrosity.

From the sidelines, Omi noticed something was off. Ying Ying continued to squawk and struggle from Chase's grasp.

"You seem oddly agitated despite your master being so close by." Chase remarked. The bird shot him an icy glare. Omi looked back at the battle, where Hannibal was losing badly. His whole fighting style was indirect and had no kung fu elements. It reminded him of someone else.

"How have your rehearsals been going?" Omi shouted into the ring.

"Fine, no thanks to you guys." The alligator spat before transforming into a wild cat. Katnappe brought her Wu to her lips.

"Kittens, attack!" She was interrupted by Clay, who couldn't stop Vlad from swinging towards her. The kittens she summoned were rabidly coming their way.

"Sorry little lady!" Clay grimaced.

"Clay!" Omi shouted. "That Cheetah isn't Hannibal!"

"What?" Clay gaped, missing that Wuya had tagged herself in. She utilized the confusion to kick Vlad toward the fleeing Cheetah, who was trying to reach Ying Ying. If he could just get the Wu to her, the tides would change. But Vlad smacked into him, and the two went rolling. Clay was dragged along with them and the three ended up tangled in the Lasso Boa Boa and covered in kittens.

"Evil wins again." Wuya cackled. The showdown fell apart and Wuya stood victorious with her loot. To her surprise, it wasn't an unarmed bean that lay in the dirt. "Jack?"

The boy genius dusted himself off.

"Behold; it is I, Jack Spicer, evil boy genius." He drawled.

"Jack, we had no idea-" Tubbimura blathered.

"Grovel all you want; you didn't bag the Wu, you don't get paid." Jack said as he straitened his goggles.

"Though your failure isn't all that surprising." Chase began. "I am curious as to how you got your hands on the Mobi Morpher."

"I got that bean in my back pocket." Jack smirked. "I told him I'd get his dumb pet and he just gave it to me." Ying Ying screeched at the comment.

"Jack, it is not wise to trust Hannibal." Omi reprimanded.

"I'm not like you dweebs." Jack scoffed. "If you recall, you're the ones who let him out in the first place."

"We thought he was you." Omi supplied. Jack faltered, but was pulled from the conversation by Chase's next comment.

"Yet you still managed to lose his prized possessions." Chase interjected. "If he hasn't realized what a liability you are now, then he must be weaker than I thought." Jack didn't respond. He turned and left with his hired henchman, Ying Ying shrieking at him from Chase's shoulder.

"Kids," Dojo whispered, "I think it's time we get you home." On the flight home, Clay played with a gold encrusted band.

~v~

"I see," Master Fung reflected after the monks debriefed him, "this is indeed concerning. Hannibal's power did not come from strength, but cunning. His weaponization of human nature is not something to under estimate." The monks were seated in a circle in the mediation room.

"Master Fung, shouldn't we be worried about the artifact Chase stole from the temple?" Raimundo asked.

"The Scroll of Jong contains the information from the first dragon warriors." Master Fung explained. "Very few are able to decipher it's ancient text."

"Because it is magic?" Omi asked.

"Because dragon's have bad hand writing." Master Fung corrected.

"Hey, you try holding a pen with claws." Dojo objected.

"While Chase has the scroll in his possession; you will be unable to learn how to make your own Shen Gong Wu. However, as I'm sure you have guessed, that was not going to be in your lessons for a long time."

"Then what does Chase want with it?" Kimiko asked.

"Hannibal used the knowledge from the scroll to overpower Dashi over 1500 years ago. My only guess is that Chase will try to do the same. Hannibal has had more time to study the scroll, he could pose a bigger threat to us if he has been plotting something. For now, I think it is best for certain warriors to go to bed."

"Yes Master Fung." The monks bowed. All but Clay ran off to be the first to use the restroom.

"Is something troubling you young monk?" Master Fung asked. Clay pulled a gold band out of his robes and handed it to his master.

"I may have forgotten to put this in the temple vault." Clay explained.

"I see." Master Fung said.

"I don't know what Dojo told you." Clay began.

"Dojo has said nothing on the subject, however valued his opinion may be."

"Oh." Clay thought a bit. "I may have used it while I had it. I honestly didn't know how it worked. I just didn't want my siblings to drift apart."

"Then there should be no harm using it to fix our current situation." Master Fung concluded.

"What?"

"You heard what I discussed with your teammates. The most obvious solution is to wish Chase didn't have the scroll, or better yet, wish that Grand Master Bardon had defeated him."

"You can't!" Clay argued. "If what Dojo said is true, you could seriously hurt yourself doing that."

"But it would mean our troubles would be over."

"No, it wouldn't." Clay argued. "Yeah it might put things off for a little while, but something else might come along and ruin it all over again. It's not worth it." Master Fung set the circlet down.

"You are quick to protect the people you care about, but you fail to do the same for yourself. Earth seeks stability. I'm sure it has been hard for you." Clay looked down at his lap. "That does not explain your lackluster performance during training. Dojo has told me how you fight on the battle field, very 'kick butt'. It is a shame I have yet to see this myself."

"I just don't think now's the time to be showing off. Especially with only half of us promoted."

"Does Omi feel the same way?" Master Fung asked.

"No, he's trying his hardest to get picked next." Clay explained.

"Then I suggest you should do the same." Master Fung proceeded. "You shouldn't sabotage your own progress to make others happy. I'm sure Omi would be more upset if you weren't trying your best, then if you ended up getting 'picked' next."

"Of course Master Fung." Clay agreed.

"We do not always get to chose our fate." Master Fung said as he placed the Wu in a folded scarf. "Families may go separate ways, wars maybe waged. I cannot offer solutions to these problems young monk." He paused. "But I can give you the greatest compliment a teacher may give his student, I don't worry about you."

~v~

Dreams were funny things. In the moment, they can feel realer then anything on the face of the planet. So when Omi woke up before sunrise, the desire to reaffirm what he knew to be true was all too powerful. Now he was well aware that the final boss of Kochika Raider wasn't trying to drink their tea, but other elements of the dream had left him shaken. He sat on the porch, cell phone in hand, as the sun slowly peaked over the horizon.

"Hello?" A groggy voice answered over the line.

"Jermaine!" Omi sighed with relief.

"Omi-dog?" Jermaine groaned. "I'm guessing math's the last thing on your mind, because you're calling me from tomorrow."

"I'm not quite sure what that means." Omi admitted.

"It's eleven o'clock at night in New York right now." Jermaine sighed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." Omi sputtered.

"It's fine. I'm just wondering what's wrong with you? You've never called. Last I checked you didn't even have a phone." Omi relayed, in as much brevity as he could, the events that transpired in Jermaine's absence.

"I have to really think to remember what happened in the other time lines now. Most of the time, it's like none if it ever happened. I haven't had a nightmare about it for a few weeks now."

"That's some pretty heavy stuff." Jermaine relented. "Not sure what I could do to help though."

"There is something I wanted to ask you." Omi played with the hem of his pajamas. He had honestly hoped to never speak about this again, but Jermaine was the safest person to ask.

"I'll try to give it to you straight." Jermaine affirmed.

"Over the phone will be fine." Omi disagreed. There was a long silence over the line, which Omi took as permission to continue. "Why did you choose to be evil?"

"Excuse me?" Jermaine exclaimed.

"I didn't mean to offend!" Omi quickly amended. "I mean, why did you chose to be Chase's student?"

"Man, it is too late for this." Jermaine groaned. "Look dog, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but most bad guys don't run around with a name tag that says 'evil'. Some old guy comes around, saying you've got talent, your first reaction isn't 'he's evil'." Omi was immediately reminded of his early days training on the temple grounds. "Ask some of your friends, I'm sure they could tell you all about it." He sighed. "What brought this on?"

"I've watched many friends switch sides on me." Omi relented. "I just don't understand why a good person would turn to evil."

"Like I said, most bad guys don't tell you they're bad guys. They act nice. They find you when you're down and tell you what you need to hear. Usually, you don't realize you're on the other side until it's too late. I can't speak for everyone, but that's how it worked for me." Omi contemplated for a while.

"What did Chase tell you?" The following silence ate at his nerves.

"That I'd be safe, that he'd teach me how to protect myself. He wasn't wrong." He paused. "But I didn't need his help to get stronger. It just seemed easier when I wasn't alone." Another pause. "Listen, I'd love to chat, but I got school tomorrow. Is there anything else you need?"

"No, thank you." He had a lot to think about. "It's good to hear from you Jermaine."

"No problem," Jermaine yawned, "whenever you're in New York." He concluded and hung up.

~v~

Jack dropped off his toadies, and fully intended to return home. What he returned to was a pile of smoldering rubble.

"No." Jack whispered as he landed his jet and hit the ground running. "Jeong!" He coughed. "Hannibal!" His boots hissed as he stumbled over what used to be his home. "JEONG!"

"I'm here." The robot sighed as he pushed open the remains of the basement door. "The Wu are safe in the Clown Panic Shelter."

"What happened?" Jack asked.

"Chase's warrior cats came and destroyed the place looking for Hannibal. Chase must have got wind he was staying here." Jeong explained. Jack pushed past the droid to survey the lab. Everything had been broken beyond repair; the bots, his computers, even the napping cot in the corner. "Were you at least able to retrieve the sorceress?"

"No." Jack reached into his pocket and pulled Hannibal out. He set the deflated bean on the shattered workstation. "I'm sorry." Hannibal was worse for wear. His rouge skin paled under the flickering lights.

"All that matters is you tried your best." Hannibal wheezed. Each breath the bean took was a struggle.

"Yeah, well if you haven't noticed, my best isn't good enough!" Jack shouted. "I'm tired of losing showdowns. I'm tired of losing." He kicked the twisted remains of one of his robots. "You said the plan was fool proof." His fist slammed into the worn metal table.

"It was Jack, it was." Hannibal agreed meekly.

"Then I guess it wasn't _Jack_ proof." Jack laughed bitterly. "Face it bean, you bet on the wrong horse."

"I'm not a gambling man," Hannibal sighed, "take a look behind you." Jack turned and saw that his already battered table had crumpled in on itself.

"Di-did I-"

"Think about it Jack! Why did the Shen Gong Wu activate after 1500 years? Why were _you _the one able to free Wuya from her prison. Why do you think I've been watching _you_ all these years." Hannibal asked. "In my time there were five dragon warriors; wood, water, fire, earth, and metal. I believe that you are the dragon of metal, like I once was. If the Xiaolin had they're way, you'd never have existed. But here you are. A chosen one." Hannibal had to catch his breath. As the weak bean gathered his strength, Jack heard a familiar voice from the ground floor.

"Jack? Did you microwave a robot or something?"

"Ashley?" Jack called.

"Where the heck are you?" Ashley called back. Jack threw open the door to the basement. She stood, in torn Katnappe gear with the Mobi Morpher and an angry bird. "I brought your bird. You were right. The jerk wasn't going to teach me squat. Of course, I expect adequate compensation for my services."

"I could teach you Jack," Hannibal gave a weary smile, "but I'm running out of time." Ying Ying soared to his side, a sliver amulet in her beak. "Will you become my apprentice?"


	10. The Mighty 5th Element

Jack didn't give Hannibal an answer right away. He wasn't sure what to say, especially with Katnappe and Jeong watching. After negotiating Katnappe's payment, he set to work fixing his robots, like many time before. Then he planned to rebuild his home. The process was numbingly familiar, but fortunately be could claim arson. He hadn't noticed Ying Ying took the Mobi Morpher until he heard a raspy voice call out to him in the dim lab.

"Please seriously consider the offer."

"Look, as great as being a 'chosen one' sounds, it seems a little too good to be true." Jack sighed. "And fake. And, you talked." He realized and turned to the silhouette in the doorway. An armored woman with red and black hair stepped into the light.

"It is because you found a way to get me and the Mobi Morpher away from Chase Young." Ying Ying explained. "You have done us both a big, big favor. We are trying to return your kindness." She gently took the twisting wrench from Jack's hand and presented the silver amulet once more. "Your power is uncontrolled, it could destroy your robots."

"And what exactly is that thing supposed to do?" Jack asked.

"It is Hannibal's elemental Shen Gong Wu, the Iron Corazon, usable only by the dragon of metal. If you become Hannibal's apprentice, we can teach you how to use your element." Jack hesitantly took the Shen Gong Wu. He waited for her to object or add stipulations, but she did not.

"This looks like the ones the Xiaolin losers have." He said as he hung it around his neck.

"Feel free to test it." Ying Ying said. "Think of it as a gift from me, as thanks."

"Iron Corazon." He stuttered. The Shen Gong Wu formed a silver chest plate with a glowing red gem. The robot parts levitated and slowly straightened out as he concentrated. "Oh my god, this is so cool!" His creation shook and began to melt like taffy. Other small pieces magnetically joined the rapidly growing puddle on the counter. "Woah, woah; hold on!" It dripped off the counter in a steady stream as Jack tried to salvage the magnetic scrap metal. He shrieked when the table from the center of the room began to drag toward him. "Off, off, OFF!"

Ying Ying touched the center of the gem and the magic stopped. Jack surveyed the twisted sculpture he had accidently made.

"You will need rigorous, rigorous training if you want to use your powers on the battle field." Ying Ying explained. "With proper planning, Xiaolin could be the ones fixing their home." She calculated. "The choice is yours." She turned to leave.

"What happens if I accept?" Jack asked.

"You would start training immediately, after all, you have a year's worth of training to make up for." She left the room to check on Hannibal. The bean was resting against an oil cloth when Ying Ying entered the room.

"I suppose you think you're helping?" Hannibal sneered.

"I refuse to let the warrior who defeated me waste away over something as trivial as losing his chi." Ying Ying spat. "I got him to wear the crest. You should be thanking me."

"While you've been off with my Shen Gong Wu, our dear friend Jeong has been gathering what he needs to kill me." Hannibal hissed. Ying Ying scooped him up and set him on her shoulder plate.

"If you wanted to keep your precious Shen Gong Wu, you should have acted sooner." Ying Ying reprimanded. "At least now you are well enough to argue."

"I just hope for your sake Jack still thinks he needs me." Hannibal resigned. "He's our best bet at capturing the Dragon of Water."

~v~

Training for the Xiaolin warriors took place the following afternoon. Raimundo whispered with the rest of his teammates as they waited for instruction.

"I'm talking zip." Raimundo went on. "Nothing in the scrolls about the Dragons of Wind before Dashi. Even less on Hannibal." There was only one other place he hadn't tried looking for answers, but he'd rather avoid it at all costs. "On the upside, I found what we need to finish Fung's assignment on combining Wu." He said with a shrug.

"Nice," Kimiko grinned, "and I found that chi map we need for the energy conversion thing. We should be done before dinner!"

"Sounds like you two might be up for some tag-team Soul Fighter III." Clay grinned.

"Kimiko's on my team!" Omi claimed.

"I'm afraid we are not doing a team exercise today." Master Fung interrupted. "Though it will be beneficial to pair you with Kimiko, as she has a propensity for burning the garden." He said with a smile.

"Sorry!" Kimiko chirped.

"Tell that to the eight trees." Raimundo murmured behind his hand.

"Hey!" She objected.

"For today's training exercise, I'd like our Wudai warriors to practice fighting against stronger opponents." Master Fund explained. "There will come a time when you may be up against a great evil on your own. Clay will spar with Raimundo and Kimiko against Omi. And Shoku warriors, now is the time to exercise control." The four bowed and took their positions on the field. Kimiko wasted no time using her Shoku powers.

"Aero Sparrows, Shoku Mars Fire!" Kimiko shouted. The three projectiles formed a flaming phoenix, which dived toward Omi.

"Wudai Neptune Water!" Omi called and formed a mighty wave to shield him from the flames.

Clay threw his Big Band Meteorang at Raimundo, who tried to replicated the back bend from the Matrix. The Dragon of Wind ended up flat on his back.

"Wait, I got this." Clay snickered as he tried to lasso his flying projectile. "Never mind." He realized as the boomerang sailed through the lasso and landed on the ground behind him.

"Cease messing about!" Omi scolded, only to get hit in the face with the extinguished sparrows.

"That's messing around." Raimundo corrected.

"Focus on your own opponent Omi." Master Fund gently reminded.

"But-" Omi began. Kimiko was behind him and went for a kick. "Leopard Chasing Tail." Omi countered. " Kimiko jumped out of the way and held the Star Hannabi to her lips.

"Star Hannabi, Fire!" It appeared as if she were breathing fire at her opponent. Omi threw up an ice wall. Steam clouded his surroundings, and he felt the earth soften beneath his feet.

On the other side of the field, Clay ran to retrieve his boomerang. Raimundo kept nudging it out of reach with his element.

"I'd love to take this seriously, but Raimundo's giving me nothing to work with." Clay retaliated. "Hey, my hat!" Raimundo has used his sword to blow the ten gallon into a nearby tree. "You don't mess with a man's hat Rai!" Clay challenged.

"Then come at me, if you can." Raimundo smirked. "Blade of the Nebula, Shoku Star Wind!" He formed a small sphere of air, which exploded with enough force to blow Clay into the tree. "Just wanted to give you something to work with." Raimundo chuckled. "I could beat you with my eyes closed."

"Much obliged." Clay grinned. He lassoed Raimundo, using the force of the blast to pull him toward the tree. Clay landed in the leaves next to his hat, but Raimundo smacked into the trunk.

"Clay wins!" Dojo cheered.

"But he didn't use any Kung Fu!" Omi objected. Kimiko took the opportunity to sweep his legs. "And Raimundo wasn't-" Omi landed on the damp soil.

"Sometimes the best weapon to use against our opponent, is an unconventional one." Master Fung imparted as Raimundo and Omi sat on the grass next to Master Fung. "Kimiko, try to defeat Clay without scorching your surroundings."

"That wasn't fair." Omi pouted and turned to further his complaints to his teacher.

"I wanted to get him up a little higher, but I managed to get the distance right." Raimundo bragged as he nursed a bleeding nose.

"Much more controlled then last time." Master Fung agreed. Omi kept quiet.

"Alright Clay," Kimiko grinned, "I know you hate fighting girls, but you better not wimp out on me. I'm not going to hold back like Raimundo did. Shoku Mars Fire!" She sent a narrow torrent of flame at him.

"Big Bang Meteorang, Wudai Jupiter Earth!" Clay created a wall of earth to shield himself and sent his weapon over head. "I wouldn't worry about that," Clay shrugged as Kimiko scaled the barricade, "seeing as you're hardly a girl." She dodged the attack and hoped over him.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Kimiko exclaimed. Clay grabbed his weapon as it returned with a grin.

"It means you can't use your phoenix attack." Clay said, holding up her bag of sparrows. "Wouldn't want you killing a bunch of innocent trees again."

"They didn't happen all at the same time!" Kimiko objected. She flipped toward the cowboy who avoided her flying leap.

"I hate to do this." He looped the Lasso Boa Boa around her ankle. "But like you said, I'm not supposed to fight with girls." He tugged her to the ground, much like he had done with Omi the first day and quickly tied her wrists to her ankles. "And I think your singeing the rope."

"Oh no, she's on fire again." Raimundo sighed.

"Now would be the time to intervene." Master Fung said to Omi, who startled and showered the field. Kimiko freed herself from the rope and rubbed at her wrist.

"Geez Clay, what was with the trash talk?" Kimiko asked.

"Do you honestly think I could have hog-tied you if you were thinking rationally?" Clay asked as he helped her off the ground.

"You must keep in mind your enemy's strengths and weakness in combat." Master Fung said. He picked up the writhing Lasso Boa Boa, and cradled it in his arms. "Kimiko would not have been subdued for long if this had been a showdown."

"That was a pretty neat move though." Dojo said as he scribbled on a piece of paper. "What would you ca~ caAA~" He sneezed, igniting the paper. "Oh no, not another one."

"What are we looking at?" Raimundo asked as Kimiko pulled the scroll of the Shen Gong Wu out of her bag.

"The Shield of Sai Gon." Kimiko laid out the scroll.

"Ah yes," Master Fung reminisced, "created by a Xiaolin Warrior that was afraid of storms. The shield was made to deflect lightening." He explained.

"Let's go while I can still breath!" Dojo sneezed again, as the four monks set off in search of the Wu.

~v~

Wuya stretched her arms as she strolled through Oregon City. The nerve Chase had, ordering her around like some servant. After his apprentice turned on him, Chase had become increasingly paranoid that Hannibal was up to something. If he really wanted the ritual completed faster, then maybe he should consider lending a hand.

"Get this, get that;" Wuya mocked, "what about my needs? I mean, what does it take for a girl to get some Wu around here?" She saw a glimmer from the display window of a toy store. "Now that's more like it." She purred.

"Not so fast Wuya!" A voice called over head. The Xiaolin Warriors leapt down from the sky. "The Shield of Sai Gon is ours." Raimundo challenged.

"Oh, and I suppose you're going to stop me?" Wuya chuckled. "That's cute, but I think I'll just take the shield and go." They bolted into the store.

"Not if I can take it first!" Jack grinned as he touched the shield at the same time as Raimundo. "I'm thinking old school for this showdown. A friendly game of D&amp;D, first one to get the treasure from the dragon wins."

"A game of what now?" Wuya asked.

"Dungeons and Dragons," Raimundo explained, "hardcore nerd stuff."

"Don't act like you haven't played." Jack countered. "You're welcome to give up if you think it's too hard."

"No way!" Raimundo argued. "I wager my Jetbutsu and Sword of the Storm against your Shadow Slicer and Reversing Mirror."

"Let's go, Xiaolin Showdown!" The ground shook as an enormous skeleton emerged from the earth. He lifted the field like a page from a book and created rolling fields. At the end of the land, there was a vast castle with the shield in the tallest tower. Dojo had grown with the field and perched atop the castle. Three twenty-sided dice, the size of beach fell from the sky and landed in front of the players.

"It's not every day that I get to do something cool in a showdown." Dojo grinned.

"Hey, that's not fair." Jack countered. "Where's the DM?" Much like the Xiaolin warriors, Jack's attire had changed. He was dressed in black robes with red sleeves and red silk ties that secured the loose ends of the garment close to his body.

"What is Jack doing in those strange robes?" Omi asked from the sidelines.

"That's the uniform of a Heylin Warrior in training." Wuya explained. "I'm not surprised you don't recognize it, we aren't exactly known for taking people in." She eyed Jack's robes suspiciously, there was no doubt they were Heylin robes. The question was, where did he get them and why.

"Gong Yi Tanpai!" They shouted.

"Dojo," Raimundo called as he ran across the field, "just throw me the shield."

"I'm trying," Dojo exclaimed, "but the window isn't opening. I can't do anything!"

"You have to roll first idiot." Jack cackled as he threw is die in the air. "Shadow Slicer!" The die landed on a ten, allowing Jack to make two copies of himself. They shuffled themselves and ran down the field after Raimundo. Dojo pinched the die between his claws and rolled. He rolled a one. Dojo moved to grab the shield again, and was smacked in the face by the die.

"Ow!" Dojo cried.

"A one is a critical failure." Kimiko read off her phone. "You can't do anything until the next turn." Raimundo rolled quickly.

"Eighteen!" He cheered. He faced the spread out Jacks and went for the throat. "Sword of the Storm, Wind!" Not wanting to risk a miss, Raimundo created a massive wall of wind just as Jack rolled his own die.

"Reversing Mirror!" Jack called. The wind shredded his duplicates. Jack was able to catch part of the attack in the mirror and blast it toward Raimundo. Jack tumbled backwards, but got back on his feet and ran for is die. Hopping to his feet, Raimundo kept going.

"Any time Dojo!" The Xiaolin monk shouted.

"I'm trying, but I keep getting ones." Dojo called back as he was smacked with another die. Raimundo rolled again.

"Shoku Star Wind!" Raimundo cheered, and created a vortex that threw Jack up into the air. Jack's die went up with him and smacked into the ground. Jack was soon to follow.

"Reversing Mirror, Metal!" Jack cried. He landed gingerly next to his semi submerged die. "You're going to pay for that wind bag!" Jack spat. "I'm not good with heights."

"Jetbutsu!" Raimundo called after getting a 15. He made a beeline toward Dojo, who had rolled a six and finally got the window open. Jack rolled again himself and grinned.

"Natural twenty, time to break in the new helipack." He soared straight up racing Raimundo to the shield. It was close, but Jack made it to the shield in time. He cheered as the arena vanished beneath his feet.

"I almost forgot what this feels like!" Jack grinned with his loot. He narrowly avoided Wuya, who stormed toward him.

"So you found yourself a teacher," Wuya sneered, "that doesn't explain how you preformed that technique with the Reversing Mirror." Jack flinched as Wuya encroached into his personal space.

"It's Shen Gong Wu, not rocket science." Jack explained. He snapped his fingers and two malformed Jack Bots came between them. "Those losers do it all the time and you don't get up in their face about it. P.S. mouthwash!" Jack exclaimed holding his nose.

"Wuya, you're looking cheap as usual." A course voice observed. "I see you have met my new pupil." The armored woman approached the huddle mass of children.

"Ying Ying?" Wuya realized. "What are you doing out of your cage? Your master must be worried sick." She sneered.

"It is quite tragic," Ying Ying relented, "someone attacked him in my absence leaving me 'masterless'. While Jack's abilities as the next Dragon of Metal need refining, it will not be long before he is battle ready."

"Hey, I held my own didn't I!" Jack argued with the female warrior, who sternly assessed his partially melted robots.

"Besides, Master Fung's the one who chooses the dragon warriors," Raimundo corrected, "not you." The severe woman wrinkled her nose.

"You think you were chosen?" Ying Ying frowned. "I suppose you come from a long line of dragon warriors then? Otherwise, why would a sacred temple ask a bunch of ignorant children to carry on their traditions? And I suppose you were rocked to sleep with stories of the great Master Dashi? How he threw the world out of balance over and over again only to save the day."

"Actually, yeah." Jack remarked. "The story part, not the other stuff."

"Gather your things." Ying Ying ordered. "A chance victory will not get you out of training." She gave a curt nod to Wuya and went to leave. "I suggest you learn about your origins young dragons, before you continue defending the fairy tales of a homeless bum." Wuya didn't trust a word that came out of the woman's mouth. The claim that Jack was suddenly a powerful Dragon Warrior was highly suspect. Chase was not going let her hear the end of this. At least she found handful of dirt he asked for.

"The nerve of that woman, bad mouthing Grand Master Dashi like that." Clay growled.

"We need to get out of here kids." Dojo ushered. "The monks are not going to like this." The kids boarded the dragon and sailed back to the temple.

"Dojo, are there Heylin elements?" Omi asked.

"No, at least, there aren't supposed to be." Dojo responded.

"Then why did that woman say that Jack was a dragon warrior?" Omi pushed. "Are there not just the five elements?"

"Look, history is a little more complicated then Heylin verses Xiaolin. Let's just say not everyone was crazy about Dashi when he came to the temple and leave it at that." Dojo cringed. "If Hannibal's really gone, it's possible Jack took what little power he had. Like I said, the monks are not going to like this."

~v~

When the Xiaolin warriors landed in the garden, they bombarded Master Fung with questions.

"Kids, please!" Dojo shouted. "I know you're concerned, but one at a time!"

"Master Fung," Raimundo began, "Jack beat us in a showdown in what Wuya said were Heylin robes, and some lady claimed he's the Dragon of Metal."

"He smelled like it too." Dojo informed. "There was definitely something off, but I'd recognize that scent anywhere. I can't quite put my finger on what was off."

"That's because it has to be a trick." Clay deduced. "There's no way there could be another dragon warrior. You would have told us if we were missing one."

"I'm afraid it might not be a trick." Master Fung concluded. "There has not been a new Dragon of Metal in over 1500 years. Many thought he had been sealed away in the Ying Yang world, a place separate from time and space. I suspect Hannibal Bean has had a hand in this alarming development. You will need every bit of strength for the battles to come." He stood and reached for a loose bundle. "That is why I've decided to promote Clay to Shoku Warrior. Clay's elemental powers will be needed to take down the Dragon of Metal." He presented a brown and black robe.

"Master Fung, are you sure about this?" Clay asked. Master Fung nodded and Clay took the robes. "Thank you, I promise I'll do my best."

"See to it that you do."Master Fung smiled.

"Yeah, alright Clay!" Kimiko cheered. "Welcome to the paper pushing squad! You'll get your membership card in 3-5 business days." Raimundo leaned back and whispered to Omi.

"Are you okay?"

"I am fine," Omi whispered back, "right now we should be congratulating Clay." Omi said with a sad smile.

~v~

Jack ducked under a low flying beam of his partially constructed house. The Jack bots were hard at work replicating his home.

"Mom, I swear it wasn't robots, I just came home and the place was toasted. Some of dad's collection is missing too; I think it was a robbery or something." Jack explained over the phone. "Why do you always assume I did it?" He began.

"You did blow up the shed at the Summer's Fourth of July Barbeque." Mrs. Spicer pointed out.

"Well yeah, but that was one time." Jack countered.

"Then there was Megan's 6th Birthday party and the time you dog sat for the neighbors. The 'fruitpocolypse' smoothie, my toaster, and Rosalita's Quinceanera; need I go on? Her eyebrows still haven't grown back Jackie." His mother listed.

"Look, all I know is I went to hang out with my friends and when I came home, the house was burnt." Jack insisted. "I've got it under control."

"Okay sweetie," his mother said warily, "I'm glad you're safe, I love you."

"Love you too." He hung up the phone and beamed at Jeong.

"Did you see the look on Wuya's face when I beat Raimundo to the Wu?" Jack gloated. "Oh I wish I had a Jack-bot take a picture. I would have made a poster!"

"I was watching." Jeong stated. "So you took Hannibal's position as apprentice?"

"Shh!" Jack flailed. "Not so loud, you never know who could be watching." The two wrapped around to the back entrance of the lab. Jack checked for Chase's spies before continuing. "Hannibal made it clear that we need Chase to think he's out of the picture for a while. Then there was something about dragons and a lot of evil laughing." Jeong raised an eyebrow.

"You do realize that he's using you." The robot asked.

"Uh, no duh." Jack scoffed. "Trust me, the feeling's mutual. Once I get what I need from him, I'll be kicking HB to the wayside. If he doesn't croak first that is. Then all I have to do is take down Chase and Wuya. After that, the Xiaolin temple will be child's play. World domination is going to be a snap!"

"If you wish to take down Xiaolin and Heylin, you will need my assistance." Jeong concluded.

"You? Wanting to be involved?" Jack gapped. "You're not malfunctioning are you?"

"I lived in the temple for hundreds of years, I know how they operate." Jeong dismissed.

"Right, you have all of Chase's data." Jack remembered. "You could totally predict their next move! Sometimes I just outsmart myself."

"If I assist you," Jeong continued, "you must do one thing for me."

"Yeah, sure." Jack said.

"When this is over, I want you to destroy the Heart of Jong and the rest of Dashi's Shen Gong Wu."

"Aren't they all Dashi's?" Jack asked.

"No, just the ones made with gold." Jeong said with a slight growl.

"Okay, follow up question, why?" Jack continued. Jeong followed the boy down into the lab.

"I do not question your motives when you ask something of me." Jeong remarked.

"Okay, so this is personnel." Jack theorized. "Sure, I guess once I take over the world, you can just put everything you hate in a pile and I'll blow it up or something."

"I expect you to uphold your end of the bargain."

"I get it, don't cross you." Jack rolled his eyes, "Sheesh, why does everyone around me have to be so cryptic and scary all the time?"

~v~

There was a quiet knock at an elegant set of double doors. The Northern corridor of the temple was empty. Raimundo briefly second guessed his choice.

"Come in." Came the answer from the other side. He slipped into the room and immediately bowed. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to apologize Grand Master and ask for your advice." Raimundo explained.

"Apologize for what, did you break something?" The weathered man spat. He pulled himself into a sitting position, careful of the tubes that punctured his ebony skin.

"No, well not recently." Raimundo admitted. "I wanted to apologize for the theft of the Scroll of Jong. It was my decision to leave the temple unguarded for so long and you were hurt because of it."

"Stand up straight boy, you're talking to me not the floor." Grand Master Bardon sighed. "If it's advice you're seeking, I suggest you talk to your teacher."

"I don't think Master Fung knows the answer to my question." Raimundo argued. "Your team made it their mission to hide the Scroll of Jong from evil, but that's not the only one thing you hid, is it? I've looked through every scroll. There is nothing about Dashi or Hannibal before the new temple was built." The old man frowned.

"What brought this on?" The Grand Master asked. "I seem to recall telling you to avoid this side of the temple."

"One of our enemies claims to be the Dragon of Metal. He already has a history of being irresponsible with power and he already is able to deflect a Shoku technique. Then only thing I can't figure out is why this is happening when there is no record anywhere in the temple about a sixth element." Raimundo explained.

"Then it probably means you're looking into something you shouldn't know about it." The Grand Master concluded, ready to tell Raimundo to leave.

"That just give the upper hand to the enemy, we need to know what we're up against and why. We don't have a choice." Raimundo began.

"Do you think I had a choice when the next generation of dragon warriors revealed themselves? No! Protecting that knowledge, this temple, is one of the only things I still have control of."

"So you didn't choose me to be the Dragon of Wind." Raimundo countered. "That doesn't change who I am. Whatever you were hoping to prevent is already happening. As the leader of the Xiaolin Warriors, I'm trying my best to protect this place too. All I'm asking is if you know anything that could help us." The Grand Master listened and thought.

"Lao Mei predicted that a Dragon of Water, unlike herself, would free the Dragon of Metal and bring an end to Dashi's era." The Grand Master Confessed. "Our leader saw a future where this prophecy came to pass. He made it our mission to hide anything related to the Dragon of Metal or the location of the other temples. Chase has the scroll that would allow you to verify who the Dragon of Metal is." The handle of his cane split open like a flower, which protected a slip of paper. "The seers of the Shui Temple protect a Shen Gong Wu known as the Hellsehen Gloves." He offered the slip to Raimundo. "They will provide you with the wisdom you need to defeat your adversary."

"Thank you Grand Master Bardon." Raimundo took the slip of paper.

"Now get out." The Grand Master grouched. "And tell whoever's buying groceries to get black tea." Raimundo nodded and closed the door behind him.

"Raimundo?" The Dragon of Wind startled and turned to see his teacher.

"Good evening Master Fung." Raimundo grinned sheepishly.

"What are you doing?" Master Fung asked.

"I was just asking the Grand Master what we should do about Jack." Raimundo explained. "Even if we don't like each other, he's still a Dragon Warrior. I figured he might have some wisdom to impact or something." He played with the folded address he received. "What about you?"

"I was about to do the same," Master Fung smiled, "and inform him that we have three exceptional Shoku Warriors."

"Thank you Master Fung." Raimundo bowed.

"Now, I believe you are late for you video gaming." Master Fung reminded.

"Shoot!" Raimundo exclaimed. "I was supposed to protect Clay from Omi's button mashing!" He ran off toward the sleeping quarters. "We got a quest for tomorrow, I'll tell you about it later!"

~v~

Omi thought the garden was the most peaceful right before rain fall. The flowers would open up, even in the dead of night to soak up the coming rain. A little peace was soothing after a stressful day.

"Hey lil' buddy." Clay said as he sat down. "How you doing?"

"Hello Clay," Omi set down his tea, "have you come to offer your condolences as well?"

"Not exactly," Clay shook his head, "unless you want it."

"I think I would feel more comfortable if someone were to poke fun with me." Omi stated. "Raimundo didn't even correct my inadequate slang."

"Wait, do you do that on purpose?" Clay exclaimed. Omi continued as if Clay had said nothing.

"If you aren't here to apologize for your own success, then why are you here?" Omi waited patiently for the rain.

"Honestly, to see if you were mad at me." Clay confessed.

"Why would I be mad at you?" Omi asked. "You didn't do anything."

"Exactly," Clay sighed, "I didn't do anything. Or at least, nothing different than usual. But you, you've been working at this your whole life. You try harder than anyone I know. Just didn't seem quite fair to me." The first drop of rain fell to the earth.

"Did you know that I am the first Dragon of Water that was born male?" Omi asked quietly. "The other monks thought it was a bad omen, but Master Fung said it meant I was special. Now I'm not so sure." They sat in silence for a while. Clay wasn't sure if what he had to say next would help, or make things worse.

"Sometimes I think that's the worst thing a parent can do; making things into a competition. You let it get to your head and it just takes over, stresses you out and brings out the ugly in you." Clay surmised. "When we were younger, my siblings and I kept trying find new ways to outshine each other. After a while, Jessie and Patty, they started trying to find things I wasn't good at and beat me at that. Then when my parents divorced," he sighed, "I got to choose where I went, but my siblings didn't. I think Jessie's still mad about that." The rain came pouring down.

"I'm more disappointed than mad," Omi considered, "in myself. I just don't know what I'm missing." He looked down at his hands, as if they possessed the answer. "What do I have to do to prove that I'm ready?"

"Take it for what it's worth, but I think you're asking the wrong person." Clay claimed. "I never had the heart to ask why things went down the way they did at home. But I'm pretty sure Master Fung won't bite your head off if you ask him what he expects of you."

"I'm pretty sure that's impossible." Omi frowned, picturing Master Fung's jaw unhinging like a snake.

"Then it won't hurt to ask him." Clay encouraged. "Who knows, maybe this was some final test to see if you could handle being last?"

"Yes." Omi brightened. "Yes of course! A test! Thank you Clay!" Omi leapt to his feet. "I have to find Master Fung."

"I didn't mean to ask him right now!" Clay called after him. Omi sped to the meditation hall in search of his teacher when he heard voice down the hall.

"Alright, what's really going on?" Dojo asked. "Did you see look on Omi's face? I felt like I got stabbed in the chest! How many more tests are you going to give the poor kid?" Omi held his breath and hid amongst the shadows.

"As many as are needed Dojo." Master Fung replied calmly.

"Don't give me that wisdom routine." Dojo groaned. "I'm talking numbers, a deadline at least. You and I both know Omi was ready after Kimiko was promoted."

"This isn't about maturity or skill Dojo." Master Fung sighed. He held a weathered photograph in his hands, the contents of which Omi couldn't fathom.

"Are you deciding this as a teacher or a mentor?" Dojo asked, placing his hand on the photo.

"The children are allowed to stay in the temple as long as they are my students." Master Fung said. "Once they all become Shoku Warriors, they will begin their journey to become Dragon Warriors." Master Fung concluded. "At that time, I will no longer be their teacher and they will have to leave the temple."

"Even the little guy?" Dojo asked.

"Omi is not ready." Master Fung responded as he placed the photo back into his robes.

**AN: Two updates in one month? Unheard of! I'm really trying to finish this story over summer break, since I wasn't able to write much during school. We've got about four, maybe five episodes to go, depending on how many loose ends need to be tied up in the finale. I'm trying my best to keep things subtle and not dump information all at once. Really looking forward to the next chapter, since we're going to start focusing on Omi and the mysteries surrounding the Dragon of Water. **

**In the very last chapter, there will be an unofficial soundtrack for the story. If you have any song suggestions, feel free to send them to me and I'll check them out!**

**Thank you all so much for reading!**


	11. Fortune's Fool

Chase and Wuya had the Scroll of Jong rolled out across the putter table. The circle in the center of the scroll flickered between two images. With an exasperated sighed, Chase closed the scroll.

"I know what I saw Chase." Wuya insisted. "Jack used a metal technique."

"A technique you yourself said should be out of his skill set." Chase reminded. "Something is interfering with the succession, that is why the scroll can't tell us who the Dragon of Metal is. We don't have time to wait for the scroll to give us the answer." He summoned his pet crow and turned to Wuya. "What do we still need for the ritual?" He asked.

"The Orb of Tornomi, a Dragon Egg, and the Heylin Seed." She listed. "All of which are in the possession of Xiaolin. While I love beating up children, I hope you plan to help getting these last few ingredients." Chase turned and spoke with the bird in hushed tones.

"The young monks plan to venture to the Shui Temple." Chase announced. "I'm sure I can find a dragon egg while I'm there."

"What about Jack?" Wuya asked.

"Jeong has been persistent in preventing us from knowing what the insect is doing. Which means it warrants investigation. There is no way Hannibal would remain inactive while his power is in jeopardy."

~ v ~

"Hey HB, check this out!" Jack grinned. He stepped aside to reveal a metal robot that looked like a child molded it out of clay. "I wanted to name them after that one guy, the dude who painted the melting clocks. You know, since they're all droopy." The robot chirped happily. "Jackson Pollock! Wait, no, that was the guy who painted like an elephant."

"What does it do?" Hannibal asked, eyeing the happy looking robot.

"Right." Jack stumbled. "I want to make them into this portable armor. Like, have this guy turn into a shield or something." Hannibal and Ying Ying did not look impressed. "They also shoot lasers."

"It doesn't seem terribly evil." Hannibal commented. "What are its other offensive capabilities."

"O-other? It, uh, doesn't have any." Jack admitted.

"Then why are you prioritizing this over your training?" Ying Ying scolded. "It will not help us in battle and you haven't finished your exercise sets." She glared at the apprentice, only to be bopped by a tiny root.

"Now Ying Ying, the boy's just trying to get creative with his element." Hannibal reasoned. "I'm sure it's scary going into battle with no combat training." Hannibal hopped off the woman's shoulder and onto the counter. "It think it's time to teach you how to use your element in battle." He jumped and hit Jack with his own robot. "Lesson one, finding a weapon."

~ v ~

After breakfast, the monks packed their bags to journey to the Shui temple. Raimundo had made sure to activate the Sweet Baby Among Us to act as a guard around the temple.

"We should be back later tonight." Raimundo reprised. "Everyone's phone is charged, and we'll get an alarm if someone breaks in. We'll text you when we get there." Raimundo said to Master Fung.

"Yes Raimundo." Master Fung nodded.

"And there's a Crockpot on the stove for supper that should be turned off at six." Clay remembered.

"I'll take care of it Clay." Master Fung nodded.

"Oh, the code to the vault changed. It should be with the Sweet Baby Among Us and will only hand it over using Dojo's pass phrase." Kimiko reminded.

"I know Kimiko." Master Fung chuckled.

"Goodbye Master Fung." Omi said.

"Goodbye Omi." Master Fung replied with a bow.

"Alright kids, hold tight." Dojo called over his shoulder. The green dragon shot up into the sky.

"Any idea about where were going?" Raimundo asked.

"The Shui Temple used to be where the Dragon of Water would train before Dashi decided it was better to train everyone at the central temple." Dojo explained. "There's a little village at the base of the falls where we can land and get more information. It's been a long time since I've been here."

"This would be where I'd have to go after I become a Shoku Warrior?" Omi asked.

"Typically, the Shoku Quest is finding the elemental temple and bonding with the temple guardian." Dojo admitted. "But it's more of a journey thing that takes years then a quest. I wouldn't worry about it for a while if I were you." Omi stopped pressing the matter. He didn't want to bring his friends into this. Mostly, he had hoped his assumption had been wrong.

~ v ~

They landed in a quaint village surrounded by greenery. The roar of the falls was dampened by the trees. It seemed all the buildings were shops of some kind, as the towns people were going about their day. A lift at the base of the mountain was being loaded to take goods to the temple at the lip of the falls. A steep set of mossy stairs was carved into the cliff side. Dojo shrank down to his original size and coiled on Clay's shoulder.

"Well kids, here we are." Dojo smiled.

"I don't see any kids here, do you?" Kimiko asked.

"That's pretty standard for a small town." Clay supplied. "Wouldn't surprise me if half these folks actual lived somewhere else."

"Excuse me!" A woman carrying a tower of boxes exclaimed. She stumbled, struggling to keep the stack steady.

"Let me get those." Raimundo said as he caught the falling parcels.

"I'm so sorry!" The woman crouched to pick up the fallen boxes and her cane with a cringe. "I really should have taken two trips." She looked up as she straightened her shawl. "Why if it isn't the Xiaolin Warriors!" Her grin crinkled her crow's feet. "My name is Peony Sasumei, it's so good to see you in person." She went to stand, boxes in hand.

"We can take these from here madam." Omi said. "Where should we put them?" With a worn cane planted in the soft earth, the woman rose.

"I was taking them to my new shop." She sighed. "Come, I'll start a cup of tea. Is Jasmine alright with you?" As they followed the woman into a renovated trailer, Kimiko noticed the towns people around them whispered. The inside of the business was decorated with embroidered pillows. "Do you like living at the temple?" She asked as she prepared the tea. "You're happy there?"

"Yeah, I guess." Raimundo frowned. "I mean, it'd be nice to bring in some furniture, like beds and stuff, but there isn't a lot of room for decorating."

"I can't imagine living anywhere else." Omi agreed.

"That is good to hear." Peony said with a smile.

"What exactly do you sell here?" Kimiko asked, eyeing the multiple incense holders.

"Advice." Peony explained. "I am a fortune teller by trade. Though if you like any of the pillows, I'd be willing to sell." She limped in with a piping hot pot of Jasmine tea. "Though I suspect you're here on a quest to see the temple." She said pouring each a cup. "Perhaps it is something I can assist you with, as thanks for helping me." She said as Clay set down the final box.

"We were hoping the seers could help us handle a new foe." Omi said. "Our enemy he is the Dragon of Metal."

"So it's wisdom you seek?" The woman with black hair asked. She sat down and gestured to the circle table . Five symbols formed a star at the center of the table, each hauntingly familiar. "The five elements, when working together, create harmony. However, when one is removed from the picture, the world falls out of balance." She covered up one of the symbols. "Metal reflects its surroundings and can adapt in the face of adversity. Once formed, it is difficult to change." She traced the line between the silver and red symbols. "Fire is the only element strong enough to overpower metal."

"What about this line here?" Clay asked, tracing a line that connected the silver symbol to a blue one.

"Ancient magic tells us that it is Metal nurtures Water." The fortune teller said. Omi's eyes widened as he recalled how Jack saved him. "When working together Metal can make Water more powerful." She smiled at Omi.

"Where is the symbol for wind?" Raimundo asked.

"Well, there isn't one." She said. "Wind is traditionally a Western element, these are Chinese elements." She began to clear away the cups. "I'm afraid I am not as educated on Western magic." She took the tray out of the room.

"I've got a bad feeling about this Rai." Kimiko whispered as the fortune teller left the room. "I'd feel much more comfortable taking advice from the seers."

"As soon as she gets back, we'll say goodbye and leave." Raimundo agreed.

~ v ~

After an egregiously long trek up the mossy stairs, the four monks neared the temple entrance. A towering sculpture of a coral covered dragon loomed over head with barred teeth.

"Behold the terrifying face of my teacher." Dojo shuddered. "The old icicle herself. She was the temple guardian for the Shui temple for over 50,000 years. Used to give me the same look when she caught me sleeping." The children marveled as they entered the wide archway.

"I'm surprised the doors are open." Kimiko commented.

"Well the average shmuck doesn't have the stamina to make it up those stairs." Dojo explained. "The only people who come all the way up here are people who really need help."

"We do that on purpose." A voice called from behind. The group shrieked at the sudden intrusion. Before them stood a chuckling, veiled woman. "Though as the Dragon of Water is with you, you could have used the short cut through the fountains. My name is Sifu, how may I help you?"

"We're looking for the seers?" Raimundo explained.

"I see, then come this way." She gestured for them to follow. "I will take you to the guardian of the Helleshen Gloves, Steve."

"Steve?" Clay frowned.

"Try not to question it." Raimundo said, giving the cowboy a pat on the back. They followed her through carefully sculpted halls. The raging waterfall had been tamed to trickle down from the ceiling into fountains and basins.

"Please forgive the emptiness of the temple." Sifu said calmly. "Even before the Dragon of Water's robes were stolen from the central temple, people didn't want to come to the temple, even the Dragon of Water herself."

"Someone stole the dragon robes from the temple?" Raimundo asked.

"Yes, about nine years ago." Sifu nodded. "It was tragic, the monks feared the next Dragon of Water would never be found because of it, but fate works in unexpected ways."

"That was when the temple shut their doors to the public." Raimundo realized. He recalled the empty dress stands he saw when he first met Grand Master Bardon.

"Then that means they're in the hands of evil." Omi exclaimed.

"Oh no, it was some kid trying to impress his girlfriend." Sifu shook her head. "Many of the monks are still looking for the robes to this day." She opened a thin pair of double doors. They were lead into a circular room with a small pool in the center. A hole in the ceiling was positioned above the water. An older monk sat at the lip of the pool next to a blind young man. He was draped in black robes, chatting quietly with the woman next to him. "Pardon me masters, but the Xiaolin warriors request your assistance."

"Why are you suddenly so tall?" Steve asked. The older woman whispered in his ear. "How was I supposed to know?" He whispered back. "Never mind. What is it you seek?" He gestured for them to sit down and tried to recreate a mystic atmosphere.

"The Grand Master of the Xiaolin temple sent them to seek the Helleshen Gloves." Dojo said introducing each monk.

"We're looking for any information on the Dragon of Metal." Raimundo explained. "Our enemy claims to be a dragon warrior."

"Well, the Helleshen Gloves can be used to see anyone or anything in the world at the present." The seer explained. "As the keeper of the gloves, I cannot use them for my own purposes. It is my duty to make sure no one misuses them. If I use them to locate the Dragon of Metal, if it doesn't exist, the gloves will show nothing."

"Could they be used to find other things," Omi asked, "like my family?" After a long pause, the seer sighed.

"I cannot." The seer shook his head. "Many have come to me seeking lost loved ones. Often times, they do not like what they see." A rumble shook through the temple. On the right side of the room, a pulley system chimed a gong. "Something's in the nursery!" The woman exclaimed.

The monks ran toward the back of the temple. They came to a wide shallow pool with a small building at the end. Chase Young stood at the end of the pool with a spherical object.

"Chase Young!" Omi shouted. "Shimo Staff, Water!" He brought down his staff as a mallet and created a tidal wave that froze into sharp icicles. Chase jumped out of the way.

"Careful of the egg!" Dojo shouted. The other monks leapt into action. Kimiko blasted the frozen wave as Clay formed a cage out of the battle field. Raimundo tried to create a vortex to rescue the egg. The wave melted, causing Chase landed on his feet and shattered the stone spires Clay had formed.

"Looks like I'm late to the party." Jack crowed. He snapped his fingers and an army of melted Jack-bots flew to his side. "Check out my new evil army!"

"Very evil Jack." Omi rolled his eyes.

"I know you're just humoring me, but the effort is appreciated." Jack tsked.

"They look like something Salvador Dali would paint." Clay remarked.

"Thank you, that's been bugging me all day!" Jack exclaimed. "Dali-bots, attack!" The malformed robots swarmed firing blasts from eye sockets and other unexpected places. Jack homed in on Chase, certain he possessed a powerful Shen Gong Wu.

"What brings you here Spicer?" Chase sneered. He threw a series of one-armed punches, which Jack struggled to avoid.

"None of your business." Jack cringed.

"There is no Shen Gong Wu here for you to loose, I suggest you go home." Chase said calmly.

"And I suggest," Jack said, as he laid a hand on Chase's chest plate, "you stop wearing metal in my presence. Iron Corazon!" The chest plate caved in a portion puncturing the chest wall. "That sounded pretty cool, right?" Jack asked the monks.

"Chase!" Omi exclaimed as the warrior stumbled back. The dragon egg went flying through the air. Jack and Kimiko both scrambled to catch the egg.

"I don't know what's gotten into you Spicer, but I don't like it." Kimiko sneered. The egg began to glow, like many of their Shen Gong Wu had.

"What else is new?" Jack frowned.

"What in tarnation is going on?" Clay asked.

"Are you blind?" Chase coughed. "It's a call for a showdown."

"He's right." Dojo agreed. "By technical definition, a dragon egg is a mystical object."

"Then the game is Water Tag." Kimiko declared. "First to get wet looses. And to make things interesting, no Shen Gong Wu, only our elements." Kimiko figured this could determine if Jack really had elemental powers.

"Fine." Jack sighed.

"Let's go, Xiaolin Showdown!" They shouted. Holes erupted around them, draining all water from the pool. The monks were on a dry fountain on the edge of the battlefield. Jets of water would sporadically launch into the sky. Jack and Kimiko squared off in their opposing uniforms. "Gong Yi Tanpai!"

While Jack and Kimiko ran to avoid the water jets, Clay and Omi helped Chase remove the chest plate. The injury would bruise more than anything, but the sight of Chase bleeding had them on edge.

"I'll be fine." Chase grimaced. "There are more important matters to address." He made a make-shift bandage. "The Elemental Shen Gong Wu Jack is wearing is a fake." He observed.

"What do you mean?" Raimundo asked warily.

"The Iron Corazon is bronze not silver." Chase frowned. Dojo squinted at the flipping figures.

"You're right!" Dojo gasped. "I knew something was off, I was smelling that bogus wu!"

"Maybe it's disguised?" Clay proposed. "There's no way any of us could have known it was a fake, let alone Jack. The question is, why would Jack have a fake elemental Shen Gong Wu."

"Perhaps to throw us off the scent." Chase spotted a red and black falcon perched on another falcon.

"Shoku Mars, Fire!" Kimiko shot a torrent of fire towards Jack. The boy shrieked.

"Shoku Venus, Metal!" Jack shouted. He wasn't at the Shoku level, but the sea of dead Dali-bots served as the material he needed to shield himself with.

"What do you think you're doing?" Kimiko raged.

"Ironically, playing fair." Jack grinned. With increased heat, Kimiko's flame melted the metal. His molten bots fell in clumps onto the live battle field.

"It takes over a year of training and discipline to call yourself a Shoku Warrior!" Kimiko launched a fire ball at the genius. "Do you realize how hard we worked to get here?" She shot fire ball after fire ball. Jack panicked and tried to bring up another metal shield. Only the cooled metal would obey him, causing a series of spikes to jut up at once.

"Kimiko!" Raimundo shouted, as a spike grazed her leg. She flipped onto her hands, her injured leg up in the air.

"Oh my gosh, you're bleeding!" Jack exclaimed.

"Really? I hadn't noticed." Kimiko sneered. A water jet erupted behind Jack. Winding up like a top, Kimiko sent out a ring of flames, hoping to cause Jack to stumble into the water. There was nowhere to run. In a rare move of quick thinking, Jack made a hole in the metal below Kimiko's feet. The reason only parts of his bots were moveable, was because the water jets were cooling it off. Just as the flames were about to lick at his face, water burst from the hole he created. The showdown closed, with Jack holding the egg. Raimundo and Omi shared a look and lunged for the boy genius. With a shriek, Jack activated his helipack and flew down the side of the temple and out of sight.

"Guys!" Kimiko called after them. "Chase vanished!" Raimundo held back, but Omi continued his pursuit.

~ v ~

Omi rained down a sea of icicles at his enemy. The only thing holding him back, was that Jack carried precious cargo. Jack dipped and dived through the rocky terrain, careful to avoid the falls.

"Give back what you stole Jack Spicer!" Omi shouted.

"Hey I won the showdown." Jack defended.

"You followed us to this temple." Omi glared. "You hurt my friends! If you were truly a dragon warrior, you would value your honor and return what you stole. What could you possibly want with a dragon egg?"

"That's what this thing is?" Jack asked as he looked at the metallic egg. The boy genius was sweating and lethargic.

"You do not look well Jack." Omi said, lowering his guard slightly.

"I'm fine," Jack defended, "I just haven't been getting enough sleep. It's a lot of work trying to catch up to you Shoku Warriors. Speaking of which, where are your fancy robes? I thought you'd have them by now."

"So did I." Omi frowned.

"Oh..." Jack faltered. "You're just lucky I'm under slept, otherwise I'd kick your butt." He pressed a button on his Wu finder. "Later loser." Jack gave a mock salute and hopped into his arriving jet. The jet threw out a cloud of smoke and he was gone. The egg, however, rested on the cliff side.

~ v ~

Once again, the monks surrounded the inner pool of the Shui Temple. Sifu stood before them, a sorrowful look in her eye.

"Chase still managed to take one of the eggs." She said quietly. "I tried to get as many of the fledglings to the inner sanctum, but..." She trailed off. "It is likely he will sacrifice it for its magic. I have failed in my duties."

"Just to be clear, is this a thousand years of darkness type scenario?" Raimundo asked.

"It's hard to say." Dojo sighed. "Dragon magic can be used for anything from making potions to Shen Gong Wu. Chase could have just taken it to turn into soup." The dragon gulped. The blind man clapped his hands together.

"Show me Chase Young!" He pulled his hands apart creating a soap film that pictured. Chase in his lair. He was worth Wuya setting the egg down in accordance to the scroll.

"It's silent." Clay realized. "Any idea what they're doing Dojo?"

"Some kind of ritual, but I don't recognize it." Dojo grimaced. "Judging by how Wuya's flipping her hair, I'd say they don't have everything." He surmised.

"We'll wait to talk with Master Fung about what we should do when we get home." Raimundo concluded. "Right now we should focus on what we came here for."

"Show me the Dragon of Metal!" The young man clapped again. This time depicting a smug looking bean.

"Hannibal!" Everyone exclaimed.

"So that's why everything's all out of whack." Clay realized. "Hannibal was trapped for 1,500 years, so of course there wouldn't be any record of a new Dragon of Metal."

"And I'm the one who released him." Omi said morosely.

"I bet he's been using that Shen Gong Wu to make us think Jack was the Dragon of Metal, so we'd be running around chasing him!" Kimiko theorized. Raimundo thought over his next words carefully.

"Please show me the Dragon of Wind." Raimundo stated.

"Rai?" Kimiko frowned.

"Just do it, please." Raimundo insisted. The sage clapped his hands, but the bubble showed nothing.

"I thought so." He murmured. The other monks objected all at once.

"Show me the leader of the Xiaolin Warriors." The blind man interjected. He clapped his hands and a reflection of Raimundo shown in the bubble. "It can be a little tricky with titles." The sage admitted. "It's why we haven't found the dragon robes yet." Raimundo didn't seem convinced.

"Kid's can you go get groceries from town?" Dojo asked. "I need to talk with Raimundo alone." The kids nodded and began the decent to the village. Raimundo took the dragon to a darkened hallway. "When Dashi first came to the temple, there wasn't exactly a parade or roses." Dojo began. "He was just some kid, who woke up with powers he didn't understand, coming to the temple for help. Some of the monks decided he was a reincarnation of Long Mu and destined leader of the Xiaolin Warriors. While Dashi loved turning the temple's traditions on its head, he hated being singled out. When he created the position of Dragon of Wind, it was with the idea that all future generations would be on equal ground."

"So that's it?" Raimundo asked. "I would have been leader no madder what?" He shouted.

"Heaven's no." Dojo snorted. "The last Dragon of Wind was a literal air head. Trust me, they were not all gems." He sighed. "Master Fung and I both agreed you were the best guy for the job. It's just not that glamorous of a position."

"Tell me about it." Raimundo sighed.

"But it does come with perks." Dojo said as he slithered onto Raimundo's arm. "We were thinking of repainting the tea room. You'd probably get to pick the color." Dojo said as he waggled an eyebrow.

"Lime green." Raimundo said without missing a beat.

"Well, it sure would be vibrant." Dojo considered with a scrunched up face.

~ v ~

Jack's two house guests sat in their PJ's, waiting awkwardly on a pile of pillows. The blond girl idly played with the kitten she smuggled in.

"So..." Ashley drawled. "How do you know Jack?"

"We are in the same figure skating class." Vlad said through a mouthful of food. "Jack dropped a girl on her head, I laughed when she kicked him." He left the injury to imagination. "What about you?"

"I'm bored." Ashley rolled her eyes. "The only reason I'm here is to get out of another, stupid debutant ball." The door swung open and Jack collapsed onto the pillows next to them.

"You look like last month's road pizza." Vlad observed.

"Ew." Ashley stuck out her tongue.

"It's Ying Ying's training." Jack groaned. "She had me do two hundred pushups, and sit ups; all the ups." His voice was muffled by the pillow. "FYI, she wants me to spar with you tomorrow."

"That'll take all of ten minutes." Ashley scoffed.

"You laugh, but I just beat Kimiko in a showdown, wu-less even." He pointed himself with his thumbs. "And before that I beat Raimundo." He finally lifted his face out of the cushions. "So that's what it means to kick butt and take names."

"Did you want us here just to brag?" Vlad asked.

"No, I figured we'd play videogames and watch movies. I found stream of Zootopia." He grinned.

"For the last time, I'm not a furry Jack." Ashley glared.

"How does that make this an evil sleepover?" Vlad asked, equally unimpressed.

"Alright, alright;" Jack amended, "Hannibal told me I have one final test before I'm Dragon Warrior material. Once I told him what Chase was up to that is. So I'm thinking, when I rise above these Xiaolin Dorks I'll be above wu or whatever, right?" Jack elaborated. "That means we can clean out all the 1500 year old garbage that's been clogging up the Heylin side. We'll be the ones that become legends! And maybe go out for ice cream and play laser tag." He added. "What do you guys say?"

"As long as it's profitable, I'm game." Ashley conceded.

"I want all of Asia," Vlad bartered, "that includes Russia, ya?"

"Then we have a deal?" Jack asked. The others agreed and spent the rest of the night plotting world domination.

~ v ~

Whatever Dojo had planned, Clay trusted that it would help Raimundo. They stood at one of the food carts outdoors.

"Why don't we get the stuff to make tamales?" Clay suggested. "Rai likes those right?"

"I don't think tamales are going to fix this?" Kimiko sighed.

"Probably not, but what else can we do?" Clay asked.

"I'll be right back," Omi explained, "I want to tell the kind lady we met about our quest." He went in search in of the trailer, surrounded by the whispers of the village.

"Alright, what's the deal with all the gossip?" Kimiko asked the shop keeper.

"That woman is a liar." The shop keeper explained. "When she came to town, she said she was a widow; no family, no children. However, Sue Lee, from the village on the other side of the falls, said she saw her with a baby years ago. Never married the whole time she lived there. I wouldn't trust that woman farther than I could throw her, and I have a bad back." She took stock of what the kids had selected. "That will be twenty-five dollars please."

"Sounds like typical gossip to me." Clay shrugged.

"Still, we should go check up on him." Kimiko suggested.

~ v ~

Chase grudgingly put up with Wuya's clumsy patch job as she examined his wound.

"Well, if we still had the flask, this wouldn't be a problem." Wuya scolded.

"That flask would have kept Hannibal healthy indefinitely, until he got his hands on a more permanent solution." Chase explained. "I didn't anticipate the next Dragon of Metal that would turn out to be Jack Spicer." He winced as she poured alcohol over the bandage. "WATCH IT!"

"I thought the Elemental Shen Gong Wu Jack had was a fake." Wuya capped the bottle and tossed it for a lion to catch.

"Hannibal has access to the Mobi Morpher, he can make the amulet Jack wears look like whatever he wants." He hopped off of the table and hobbled toward the scroll. He rolled it open to reveal a gold amulet with a black dragon eating a star on it. "The only way Jack could use those technique while Hannibal is alive would be the Crest of the Dragon; the last Shen Gong Wu made with Jeong's blessing."

"What is that exactly?" Wuya asked.

"I'm surprised you don't recognize it." Chase raised a brow. "It's how Hannibal stole our elements 1,500 years ago. If Hannibal is up to his old tricks, it is imperative that the dragon warriors cooperate with us. It could be the only way to get the final ingredients in time."

~ v ~

Omi entered the trailer with little care, the boxes still packed where they left them.

"Ms. Sasumei!" Omi called as he wandered toward the tiny kitchen. The woman startled and quickly covered the embroidered dragon on her robes with her shawl.

"Little one, don't startle me like that." She whipped her puffy eyes. "What brings you back here so soon?"

"I wanted to tell you we completed our quest and to thank you. For your advice, though it may have caused our leader to doubt himself." He faltered, staring at the ground. The woman carefully crouched to his level.

"Did you know that you can tell a lot about a person by their eyes?" She asked with a sad smile. "I can tell there are many things that trouble you. And that you care about the family you've found very much."

"When all of this is over and we finally become dragon warrior, my friends will want to return to their families." Omi confessed. "But I will have nowhere to go." She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Water is the element of change." She told him. "It flows through you. If you have become trapped, you have the power to carve your own path." She thought a moment. "Stay right there, I have something that might help you." She left the room and returned with a soft, paper package. "The next time you feel lost, open this to remind you of where you came from."

"Omi, come on, we have to go!" Kimiko shouted.

"Your friends are waiting for you." She said.

"Thank you mam." Omi accepted the gift. "Goodbye." He joined his friends.

"Alright guys, let's go report to Master Fung." Raimundo grinned.

"You know. I'm with Kimiko." Clay sighed with one last look at the village. "This place is plain strange."

"Thank you!" Kimiko exclaimed. "Omi I'm so not comfortable leaving you have once you're promoted." She shook her head. "You'll just have to stay with me at my temple."

"Heck no," Raimundo butted in, "he's staying with me."

"I think this is a conversation best saved for when we find the other temples." Clay interceded.

"Friends, please!" Omi piped up. "There is enough of me to go about!"

"Go around." Everyone corrected with a laugh.


End file.
